AND  WASTE 


OLIVER  OPTIC 


LIBRA  9V 

IJnivers  .fornle 

»R/ 


HASTE  AND   WASTE 


Mr.  Sherwood  had  Selected  Lawiy  Wilford  as  the  Pilot 
of  the  Woodville," 


HASTE   AND   WASTE 


OR 


THE  YOUNG  PILOT  OF  LAKE  CHAMPLAIN 


A  STORY  FOR  YOUNG  PEOPLE 


BY 

OLIVER  OPTIC 

AUTHOB  OP 

AND  HUMBLE,"  "ALL  ABOABD,"  "POOB  AND 
"TBY  AGAIN,"  "NOW  OB  NEVES,"  ETC. 


M.  A.  DONOHUE  &  COMPANY 

CHICAGO  NEW  YORK 


Made  in  U.  S.  A. 


HASTE  AND  WASTE 

CHAPTER    I 

THE    SQUALL    ON    THE    LAKE 

"  STAND  by,  Captain  John !  "  shouted  Lawry  Wilford,  a 
stout  boy  of  fourteen,  as  he  stood  at  the  helm  of  a  sloop, 
which  was  going  before  the  wind  up  Lake  Champlain. 

"  What's  the  matter,  Lawry?  "  demanded  the  captain. 

"  We're  going  to  have  a  squall,"  continued  the  young 
pilot,  as  he  glanced  at  the  tall  peaks  of  the  Adirondacks. 

There  was  a  squall  in  those  clouds,  in  the  judgment  of 
Lawry  Wilford;  but  having  duly  notified  the  captain  of 
the  impending  danger  to  his  craft,  he  did  not  assume  any 
further  responsibility  in  the  management  of  the  sloop.  It 
was  very  quiet  on  the  lake ;  the  water  was  smooth,  and  the 
tiny  waves  sparkled  in  the  bright  sunshine.  There  was  no 
roll  of  distant  thunder  to  admonish  the  voyagers,  and  the 
youth  at  the  helm  was  so  much  accustomed  to  squalls  and 
tempests,  which  are  of  frequent  occurrence  on  the  lake,  that 
they  had  no  terrors  to  him.  It  was  dinner-time,  and  the 
young  pilot,  fearful  that  the  unexpected  guest  might  re 
duce  the  rations  to  a  low  ebb  for  the  second  table,  was  more 
concerned  about  this  matter  than  about  the  squall. 

Captain  John,  as  he  was  familiarly  called  on  board  the 
Missisque,  which  was  the  name  of  the  sloop,  was  not  a  man 
to  be  cheated  out  of  any  portion  of  his  dinner  by  the  ap 
proach  of  a  squall;  and  though  his  jaws  may  have  moved 
more  rapidly  after  the  announcement  of  the  young  pilot, 
he  did  not  neglect  even  the  green-apple  pies,  the  first  of  the 
season,  prepared  with  care  and  skill  by  Mrs.  Captain  John, 
who  resided  on  board,  and  did  "  doctor's  "  duty  at  the  gal- 

5 


6  Haste  and  Waste 

ley.  Captain  John  did  not  abate  a  single  mouthful  of  the 
meal,  though  he  knew  how  rapidly  the  mountain  showers 
and  squalls  travel  over  the  lake.  The  sloop  did  not  usually 
make  more  than  four  or  five  miles  an  hour,  being  deeply 
laden  with  lumber,  which  was  piled  up  so  high  on  the  deck 
that  the  mainsail  had  to  be  reefed,  to  make  room  for  it. 

The  passenger,  Mr.  Randall,  was  a  director  of  a  country 
bank,  journeying  to  Shoreham,  about  twenty  miles  above 
the  point  where  he  had  embarked  in  the  Missisque.  He  had 
crossed  the  lake  in  the  ferry,  intending  to  take  the  steamer 
at  Westport  for  his  destination.  Being  a  man  who  was 
always  in  a  hurry,  but  never  in  season,  he  had  reached  the 
steamboat  landing  just  in  time  to  see  the  boat  moving  off. 
Procuring  a  wherry,  and  a  boy  to  row  it,  he  had  boarded  the 
Missisque  as  she  passed  up  the  lake ;  and,  though  the  sloop 
was  not  a  passenger-boat,  Captain  John  had  consented  to 
land  him  at  Shoreham. 

Mr.  Randall  was  a  landsman,  and  had  a  proper  respect 
for  squalls  and  tempests,  even  on  a  fresh-water  lake.  He 
heard  the  announcement  of  Lawry  Wilford  with  a  feeling 
of  dread  and  apprehension,  and  straightway  began  to  con 
jure  up  visions  of  a  terrible  shipwreck,  and  of  sole  sur 
vivors,  clinging  with  the  madness  of  desperation  to  broken 
spars,  in  the  midst  of  the  storm-tossed  waters.  But  Mr. 
Randall  was  a  director  of  a  country  bank,  and  a  certain 
amount  of  dignity  was  expected  and  required  of  him.  His 
official  position  before  the  people  of  Vermont  demanded 
that  he  should  not  give  way  to  idle  fears.  If  Captain  Jones, 
who  was  not  a  bank  director,  could  keep  cool,  it  was  Mr. 
Randall's  solemn  duty  to  remain  unmoved,  or  at  least  to  ap 
pear  to  remain  so. 

The  passenger  finished  the  first  course  of  the  dinner, 
which  Mrs.  Captain  John  had  made  a  little  more  elaborate 
than  usual,  in  honor  of  the  distinguished  guest;  but  he 
complained  of  the  smallness  of  his  appetite,  and  it  was 
evident  that  he  did  not  enjoy  the  meal  after  the  brief  col 
loquy  between  the  skipper  and  the  pilot.  He  was  nervous ; 
his  dignity  was  a  "  bore  "  to  him,  and  was  maintained  at  an 


Haste  and  Waste  7 

immense  sacrifice  of  personal  ease;  but  he  persevered  un 
til  a  piece  of  the  dainty  green-apple  pie  was  placed  before 
him,  when  he  lacerated  the  tender  feelings  of  Mrs.  Captain 
John  by  abruptly  leaving  the  table  and  rushing  on  deck. 

This  hurried  movement  was  hardly  to  be  regarded  as  a 
sacrifice  of  his  dignity,  for  it  was  made  with  what  even  the 
skipper's  lady  was  compelled  to  allow  was  a  reasonable 
excuse. 

"  Gracious !  "  exclaimed  Mr.  Randall,  as  the  tempting 
piece  of  green-apple  pie,  reeking  with  indigenous  juices  was 
placed  before  him. 

At  the  same  moment  the  bank  director  further  indicated 
his  astonishment  and  horror  by  slapping  both  hands  upon 
his  breast  in  a  style  worthy  of  Brutus  when  Rome  was  in 
peril. 

"  What's  the  matter,  squire  ?  "  demanded  Captain  John, 
dropping  his  knife  and  fork,  and  suspending  the  operation 
of  his  vigorous  jaws  till  an  explanation  could  be  obtained. 

"  I've  left  my  coat  on  deck,"  replied  Mr.  Randall,  rising 
from  his  chair. 

"  It's  just  as  safe  there  as  'twould  be  on  your  back, 
squire,"  added  the  skipper. 

"  There's  six  thousand  dollars  in  the  pocket  of  that 
coat,"  said  the  bank  director,  with  a  gasp  of  apprehension. 
"  Where's  my  coat  ?  "  demanded  he. 

"  There  it  is,"  replied  Lawry  Wilford,  pointing  to  the 
garment  under  the  rail.  "  We  had  a  flaw  of  wind  just  now, 
and  it  came  pretty  near  being  blowed  overboard." 

"  Gracious !  "  exclaimed  Mr.  Randall,  as  he  clutched  the 
coat.  "  I'm  too  careless  to  live !  There's  six  thousand  dol 
lars  in  a  pocket  of  that  coat." 

"  Six  thousand  dollars !  "  ejaculated  Lawry,  whose  ideas 
of  such  a  sum  of  money  were  very  indefinite.  "  I  should 
say  you  ought  not  to  let  it  lie  round  loose  in  this  way." 

"  I'm  very  careless ;  but  the  money  is  safe,"  continued 
the  director. 

"  Stand  by,  Captain  John ! "  suddenly  shouted  Lawry, 
with  tremendous  energy,  as  he  put  the  helm  down. 


8  Haste  and  Waste 

The  squall  was  coming  up  the  lake  in  the  track  of  the 
Missisque;  a  dull,  roaring  sound  was  heard  astern ;  and  all 
the  mountain  peaks  had  disappeared,  closed  in  by  the  dense 
volume  of  black  clouds.  The  episode  of  the  bank  director's 
coat  had  distracted  the  attention  of  the  young  pilot  for  a 
moment,  and  he  had  not  observed  the  rapid  swoop  of  the 
squall,  as  it  bore  down  upon  the  sloop.  He  leaped  over  the 
piles  of  lumber  to  the  forecastle,  and  had  cast  loose  the 
peak-halyard,  when  Captain  John  tumbled  up  the  com- 
panionway  in  time  to  see  that  he  had  lingered  too  long  over 
the  green-apple  pie,  and  that  one  piece  would  have  been 
better  for  his  vessel,  if  not  for  him. 

"  Let  go  the  throat-halyard !  "  roared  he.  "  Down  with 
the  mainsail !  down  with  the  mainsail !  " 

Lawry  did  not  need  any  prompting  to  do  his  duty ;  but 
before  he  could  let  go  the  throat-halyard,  the  squall  was 
upon  the  sloop.  Mr.  Randall  had  seized  hold  of  the  rail, 
and  was  crouching  beneath  the  bulwark,  expecting  to  go 
to  the  bottom  of  the  lake,  for  he  was  too  much  excited  to 
make  a  comparison  of  the  specific  gravities  of  pine  boards 
and  fresh  water,  and  therefore  did  not  realize  that  lumber 
would  float,  and  not  sink. 

The  squall  did  its  work  in  an  instant;  and  before  the 
bank  director  had  fairly  begun  to  tremble,  the  rotten  main 
sail  of  the  Miftslsque  was  blown  into  ribbons,  and  the  "  flap 
ping  flitters  "  were  streaming  in  the  air.  Piece  after  piece 
was  detached  from  the  bolt-rope,  and  disappeared  in  the 
heavy  atmosphere.  The  sloop,  in  obedience  to  her  helm, 
came  about,  and  was  now  headed  down  the  lake.  The  rain 
began  to  fall  in  torrents,  and  Mr.  Randall  was  as  uncom 
fortable  as  the  director  of  a  country  bank  could  be. 

"  Go  below,  sir !  "  shouted  Captain  John  to  the  unhappy 
man. 

"  Is  it  safe?  "  asked  Mr.  Randall. 

"  Safe  enough." 

"Won't  she  sink?" 

"  Sink?  no;  she  can't  sink,"  replied  the  skipper.  "  The 
wu'st  on't's  over  now." 


Haste  and  Waste  9 

The  fury  of  the  squall  was  spent  in  a  moment,  and  then 
the  fury  of  Captain  John  began  to  gather,  as  he  saw  the 
remnants  of  the  sail  flapping  at  the  gaff  and  the  boom. 
The  Missisque  and  her  cargo  were  safe,  and  not  a  single 
one  of  the  precious  lives  of  her  crew  had  been  sacrificed; 
but  the  skipper  was  as  dissatisfied  as  the  skipper  of  a  lake 
sloop  could  be;  more  so,  probably,  than  if  the  vessel  had 
gone  to  the  bottom,  and  left  him  clinging  for  life  to  a  lone 
spar  on  the  angry  waters,  for  men  are  often  more  reason 
able  under  great  than  under  small  misfortunes. 

"  Why  didn't  you  let  go  that  throat-halyard?  "  said  he, 
as  he  walked  forward  to  where  the  young  pilot  stood. 

"  I  did,"  replied  Lawry  quietly. 

"  You  did !  What  was  the  use  of  lettin'  it  go  after  the 
squall  had  split  the  sail?  Why  didn't  you  do  it  sooner?  " 

"  I  did  it  as  soon  as  I  saw  the  squall  coming  down  on  us." 

"  Why  didn't  you  see  it  before  then  ?  "  growled  Captain 
John. 

"  I  told  you  the  squall  was  coming  half  an  hour  ago. 
Why  didn't  you  come  on  deck,  and  attend  to  your  vessel?  " 

"  Don't  be  sassy,"  said  Captain  John. 

"  I'm  not  the  skipper  of  this  craft.  If  I  had  been,  that 
sail  would  have  been  safe.  I  told  you  the  squall  was  com 
ing,  and  after  that  I  did  the  best  I  could." 

"  You  ain't  good  for  nothin'  'board  a  vessel.  I  thought 
you  knew  enough  to  take  in  sail  when  you  saw  a  squall 
comin'." 

"  I  should  have  taken  in  sail  long  ago  if  I  had  thought 
the  captain  didn't  know  enough  to  come  on  deck  when 
there  was  a  squall  coming  up,"  replied  Lawry. 

"  I  don't  want  nothin'  more  of  you." 

"  And  I  don't  want  anything  more  of  you,"  added  Lawry 
smartly.  "  I've  got  almost  home." 

"  What  do  you  s'pose  I'm  goin'  to  do  here,  eighty  mile 
from  Whitehall,  with  the  mainsail  blowed  clean  out?" 
snarled  Captain  John,  as  he  followed  Lawry. 

"  Mind  your  vessel  better  than  you  have,  I  hope." 

"  Don't  be  sassy,  boy." 


io  Haste  and  Waste 

**  You  needn't  growl  at  me  because  you  neglected  your 
duty.  I  did  mine.  I  was  casting  off  the  halyards  when  the 
squall  came." 

"  Why  didn't  you  do  it  before  ?  That's  what  I  want  to 
know." 

"  I  had  no  orders  from  the  captain.  Men  on  board  a 
vessel  don't  take  in  sail  till  they  are  told  to  do  so.  When 
I  saw  the  squall  coming,  half  an  hour  ago,  I  let  you  know 
it;  that  was  all  I  had  to  do  with  it." 

"  I  don't  want  you  in  this  vessel ;  you  are  too  smart  for 
me,"  continued  Captain  John. 

"  I'll  leave  her  just  as  soon  as  we  get  to  Port  Rock,"  said 
Lawry,  sitting  down  on  the  rail. 

The  rain  ceased  in  a  few  moments,  and  the  skipper  or 
dered  the  jib,  which  had  before  been  useless,  to  be  set.  At 
the  invitation  of  Mrs.  Captain  John,  Lawry  went  below 
and  ate  his  dinner,  to  which  he  felt  himself  entitled,  for  he 
was  working  his  passage  up  from  Plattsburg.  By  the  time 
he  had  disposed  of  the  last  piece  of  green-apple  pie  on 
board,  the  Missisque  was  before  Port  Rock,  which  was  the 
home  of  the  young  pilot,  and  he  saw  his  father's  ferry-boat 
at  the  shore  as  he  came  on  deck. 

"  Will  you  put  me  ashore  here,  Captain  John  ?  "  asked 
Lawry. 

"  Yes,  I  will ;  and  I'm  glad  to  get  rid  of  you,"  replied  the 
captain  testily. 

"  I  think  I  will  land  here,  also,"  added  the  bank  director. 
"  Now  you  have  lost  your  sail,  I'm  afraid  you  won't  get 
along  very  fast." 

"  I  don't  expect  I  shall.  I  sha'n't  get  to  Shoreham  till 
to-morrow  morning  with  this  wind.  I'm  sorry  it  happened 
so ;  but  that  boy  didn't  mind  what  he  was  about." 

"  The  captain  didn't  mind  what  he  was  about,"  added 
Lawrv.  "  He  needn't  lay  it  to  me,  when  it  was  all  his  own 
fault." 

"  I  will  cross  the  lake,  and  get  a  horse  at  Pointville,  so 
that  I  shall  be  in  Shoreham  by  five  o'clock,"  continued  the 
bank  director. 


Haste  and  Waste  1 1 

Captain  John  ordered  one  of  the  men  to  pull  Mr.  Ran 
dall  and  Lawry  ashore  in  the  boat,  and  in  a  few  minutes 
they  were  landed  at  Port  Rock. 


CHAPTER    II 

THE  POET  BOCK  FERRY 

LAWRENCE  WILFORD  was  a  full-fledged  water-fowl. 
From  his  earliest  childhood  he  had  paddled  in  Lake  Cham- 
plain.  His  father  had  a  small  place,  consisting  of  ten  acres 
of  land  with  a  small  cottage;  but  it  was  still  encumbered 
with  a  mortgage,  as  it  had  been  for  twenty  years,  though 
the  note  had  passed  through  several  hands,  and  had  been 
three  times  renewed.  John  Wilford  was  not  a  very  saga 
cious  nor  a  very  energetic  man,  and  had  not  distinguished 
himself  in  the  race  for  wealth  or  for  fame.  He  wanted  to  be 
rich,  but  he  was  not  willing  to  pay  the  price  of  riches. 

His  place  was  a  short  distance  from  the  village  of  Port 
Rock,  and  John  Wilford,  at  the  time  he  had  purchased  the 
land  and  built  his  house,  had  established  a  ferry,  which  had 
been,  and  was  still,  his  principal  means  of  support;  for 
there  was  considerable  travel  between  Port  Rock  and  Point- 
ville,  on  the  Vermont  side  of  the  lake. 

The  ferryman  was  a  poor  man,  and  was  likely  to  remain 
a  poor  man  to  the  end  of  his  life.  Hardly  a  day  passed 
in  which  he  did  not  sigh  to  be  rich,  and  complain  of  the 
unequal  and  unjust  distribution  of  property.  He  could 
point  to  a  score  of  men  who  had  not  worked  half  so  hard 
as  he  had,  in  his  own  opinion,  that  had  made  fortunes,  or 
at  least  won  a  competence,  while  he  was  as  poor  as  ever, 
and  in  danger  of  having  his  place  taken  away  from  him. 
People  said  that  John  Wilford  was  lazy;  that  he  did  not 
make  the  most  of  his  land,  and  that  his  ferry,  with  closer 
attention  to  the  wants  of  passengers,  might  be  made  to  pay 
double  the  amount  he  made  from  it.  He  permitted  the 
weeds  to  grow  in  his  garden,  and  compelled  people  to  wait 
by  the  hour  for  a  passage  across  the  lake. 


12  Haste  and  Waste 

John  Wilford  wondered  that  he  could  not  grow  rich,  that 
he  could  not  pay  off  the  mortgage  on  his  place.  He  seldom 
sat  down  to  dinner  without  grumbling  at  his  hard  lot.  His 
wife  was  a  sensible  woman.  She  did  not  wonder  that  he 
did  not  grow  rich;  only  that  he  contrived  to  keep  out  of 
the  poorhouse.  She  was  the  mother  of  eight  children,  and 
if  he  had  been  half  as  smart  as  she  was,  prosperity  would 
have  smiled  upon  the  family.  As  it  was,  her  life  was  filled 
up  with  struggles  to  make  the  ends  meet;  but,  though  she 
had  the  worst  of  it,  she  did  not  complain,  and  did  all  she 
could  to  comfort  and  encourage  her  thriftless  husband. 

The  oldest  son  was  as  near  like  his  father  as  one  person 
could  be  like  another.  He  was  eighteen  years  old,  and  was 
an  idle  and  dissolute  fellow.  Lawrence,  the  second  son,  in 
herited  his  mother's  tack  and  energy.  He  was  observing 
and  enterprising,  and  had  already  made  a  good  reputation 
as  a  boatman  and  pilot.  He  had  worked  in  various  capaci 
ties  on  board  of  steamers,  canal-boats,  sloops,  and  schoon 
ers,  and  in  five  years  had  visited  every  part  of  the  lake  from 
Whitehall  to  St.  Johns. 

Speaking  technically,  his  bump  of  locality  was  large,  and 
he  was  as  familiar  with  the  navigation  of  the  lake  as  any 
pilot  on  its  waters.  Indeed,  he  had  occasionally  served  as  a 
pilot  on  board  steamers  and  other  vessels,  which  had  earned 
for  him  the  name  of  the  Young  Pilot,  by  which  he  was  often 
called.  But  his  business  was  not  piloting,  for  there  was  but 
little  of  this  work  to  be  done.  Unlike  his  father,  he  was 
willing  to  do  anything  which  would  afford  him  a  fair  com 
pensation,  and  in  his  five  years  of  active  life  on  the  lake 
he  had  been  a  pilot,  a  deck-hand,  a  waiter,  and  a  kitchen 
assistant  on  board  steamers,  and  a  sailor,  helmsman,  and 
cook  on  board  other  craft.  He  picked  up  considerable 
money,  for  a  boy,  by  his  enterprise,  which,  like  a  good  son 
with  a  clear  apprehension  of  domestic  circumstances,  he 
gave  to  his  mother.  At  the  time  of  his  introduction  to  the 
reader,  Lawry  had  just  piloted  a  canal-boat,  with  movable 
masts,  from  Whitehall  to  Plattsburg,  and  was  working  his 
passage  home  on  the  Missisque. 


Haste  and  Waste  13 

"  Captain  John  feels  bad  about  the  loss  of  his  sail,"  said 
Mr.  Randall,  as  the  sloop's  boat  pulled  off  from  the  shore. 

"  Yes,  he  does  ;  but  it  was  his  own  fault,"  replied  Lawry. 
"  He  paid  too  much  attention  to  his  dinner  at  the  time.'* 

"  That's  true ;  he  was  very  fond  of  the  green-apple  pies.'* 

"  Well,  they  were  good,"  added  the  young  pilot. 

"  I'm  sorry  he  lost  his  sail." 

"  It  wasn't  worth  much,  though  it  was  a  bad  time  to 
lose  it." 

"  He  lost  his  temper,  too.  I  wanted  to  land  on  the  other 
side,  but  the  captain  was  so  cross  I  didn't  like  to  ask  him 
when  we  were  so  close  to  this  shore.  Your  father  is  the 
ferryman,  I  believe." 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Will  you  ask  him  to  take  me  over?  " 

"  He's  going  right  over  in  the  large  boat,  for  there's  a 
team  waiting  for  him,"  replied  Lawry,  pointing  to  a  horse 
and  wagon,  the  owner  of  which  had  sounded  the  horn  just 
as  the  passengers  from  the  boat  landed. 

"  Ask  him  to  be  as  quick  as  possible,  for  I'm  in  a  hurry,'* 
added  the  bank  director. 

"  Won't  you  come  into  the  house,  sir?  " 

"  No,  I  will  sit  down  under  this  tree." 

Lawry  went  into  the  house,  where  the  family  were  at 
dinner,  the  meal  having  been  delayed  by  the  absence  of  the 
ferryman  on  the  other  side  of  the  lake.  The  youth  was 
greeted  coldly  by  his  father,  and  very  warmly  by  his 
mother. 

"  I'm  glad  you've  got  home,  Lawry,  for  Mr.  Sherwood 
has  been  after  you  three  times,"  said  Mrs.  Wilford,  when 
the  young  pilot  had  been  duly  welcomed  by  all  the  family. 

"  What  does  he  want  ?  "  asked  Lawry. 

"  His  little  steamboat  is  at  Port  Henry,  and  he  wants 
you  to  go  up  and  pilot  her  down." 

"  The  Woodville?  " 

"  Yes,  that's  her  name,  I  believe." 

"  Well,  I'm  all  ready  to  go." 

"  Sit  down  and  eat  your  dinner." 

J2 


14  Haste  and  Waste 

"  I've  been  to  dinner." 

"  Mr.  Sherwood  wanted  you  to  go  up  in  the  Sherman; 
but  it  is  too  late  for  her,  and  he  may  go  in  the  night  boat." 

"  I'm  ready  when  he  is.  Father,  there  is  a  gentleman 
outside  who  wants  to  go  over  the  lake ;  and  there  is  a  team 
waiting  in  the  road,"  continued  Lawry. 

"  They  must  wait  till  I've  done  my  dinner,"  replied  the 
ferryman.  "  Who  is  the  gentleman  ?  " 

"  Mr.  Randall ;  he  is  a  director  in  a  bank,  and  has  sir 
thousand  dollars  with  him." 

"  I  suppose  so ;  every  man  but  me  has  six  thousand  dol 
lars  in  his  pocket.  Where's  he  going  to?  " 

"  To  Shoreham,  and  he  wants  to  get  there  by  five  o'clock, 
if  he  can." 

"  What's  he  traveling  with  so  much  money  for?  " 

"  I  don't  know.  It  is  in  his  coat  pocket,  and  it  would 
have  gone  overboard  if  it  hadn't  been  for  me." 

The  ferryman  finished  his  dinner  in  moody  silence.  He 
seemed  to  be  thinking  of  the  subject  always  uppermost  in 
his  mind,  his  thoughts  stimulated,  no  doubt,  by  the  fact 
that  his  expected  passenger  carried  a  large  sum  of  money 
on  his  person. 

"  Mr.  Randall  is  in  a  hurry,  father,"  interposed  Lawry, 
when  the  ferryman  had  sat  a  good  half-hour  after  his  son's 
arrival. 

"  He  must  wait  till  I  get  ready.  He's  got  money,  and  I 
haven't;  but  I'm  just  as  good  as  he  is.  I  don't  know  why 
I'm  poor  when  so  many  men  are  rich.  But  I'm  going  to 
be  rich,  somehow  or  other,"  said  he,  with  more  earnestness 
than  he  usually  exhibited.  "  I'm  too  honest  for  my  own 
good.  I'm  going  to  do  as  other  men  do ;  and  I  shall  wake 
up  rich  some  morning,  as  they  do.  Then  I  sha'n't  have  to 
go  when  folks  blow  the  horn.  They'll  be  willing  to  wait 
for  me  then." 

"  Don't  keep  the  gentleman  waiting,  father,"  added  Mrs. 
Wilford. 

"  I'm  going  to  be  rich,  somehow  or  other,"  continued  the 
ferryman,  still  pursuing  the  exciting  line  of  thought  he  had 


Haste  and  Waste  15 

before  taken  up.  "  I'm  going  to  be  rich,  bj  hook  or  bj 
crook." 

"  This  making  haste  to  get  rich  ruins  men  sometimes, 
husband ;  and  haste  makes  waste  then." 

"  If  I  can  only  get  rich,  I'll  risk  being  ruined,"  said  John 
Wilford,  as  he  rose  from  the  table  and  put  on  his  hat. 

He  looked  more  moody  and  discontented  than  usual. 
Instead  of  hastening  to  do  the  work  which  was  waiting  for 
him,  he  stood  before  the  window,  looking  out  into  the 
garden.  Mrs.  Wilford  told  him  the  gentleman  would  be 
impatient,  and  he  finally  left  the  house  and  walked  down 
to  the  ferry-boat. 

"  I  wonder  what  your  father  is  thinking  about,"  said 
Mrs.  Wilford,  as  the  door  closed  behind  him. 

"  I  don't  know,"  replied  Lawry ;  "  he  don't  seem  to  be 
thinking  that  people  won't  wait  forever  for  him.  I  guess 
I'll  go  up  to  Mr.  Sherwood's,  and  see  when  he  wants  me." 

"  You  must  fix  up  a  little  before  you  go,"  replied  the 
prudent  mother.  "  They  are  very  grand  people  up  at  Mr. 
Sherwood's,  and  you  must  look  as  well  as  you  can." 

"  I'll  put  on  my  best  clothes,"  added  Lawry. 

In  half  an  hour  he  had  changed  his  dress,  and  looked 
like  another  boy.  Mrs.  Wilford  adjusted  a  few  stray  locks 
of  his  hair,  and  as  he  put  on  his  new  straw  hat,  and  left 
the  house,  her  eye  followed  him  with  a  feeling  of  motherly 
pride.  He  was  a  good  boy,  and  had  the  reputation  of  being 
a  very  smart  boy,  and  she  may  be  pardoned  for  the  parental 
vanity  with  which  she  regarded  him.  While  he  visits  the 
house  of  Mr.  Sherwood,  we  will  follow  his  father  down  to 
the  ferry,  where  the  bank  director  was  impatiently  waiting 
his  appearance. 

After  the  shower  the  sun  had  come  out  brightly,  and  the 
wind  had  abated  so  that  there  was  hardly  breeze  enough  to 
ruffle  the  waters  of  the  lake.  It  was  intensely  warm,  and 
Mr.  Randall  had  taken  off  his  coat  again,  but  he  was  careful 
to  keep  it  on  his  arm.  At  the  approach  of  the  ferryman 
he  went  into  the  boat,  where  he  was  followed  by  the  vehicle 
that  had  been  waiting  so  long  for  a  passage  across  the  lake. 


1 6  Haste  and  Waste 

John  Wilford  pushed  off  the  boat  with  a  pole,  and 
trimmed  the  sail,  which  was  the  motive  power  of  the  craft 
when  there  was  any  wind.  The  ferry-boat  was  a  large 
bateau,  or  flatboat,  the  slope  at  the  ends  being  so  gradual 
that  a  wagon  could  pass  down  over  it  to  the  bottom  of  the 
boat.  This  inclined  plane  was  extended  by  a  movable  plat 
form  about  six  feet  wide,  which  swung  horizontally  up  and 
down,  like  a  great  trap-door.  When  the  ferry-boat  touched 
the  shore,  this  platform  was  let  down  upon  the  ground, 
forming  a  slope  on  which  carriages  were  driven  into  and  out 
of  the  bateau. 

The  wind  was  very  light,  and  the  clumsy  craft  moved 
very  slowly — so  slowly  that  the  passage  promised  to  be  a 
severe  trial  to  the  patience  of  Mr.  Randall,  who  hoped  to 
reach  Shoreham  by  five  o'clock.  He  was  not  in  a  very 
amiable  frame  of  mind  ;  he  was  angry  at  the  delay  in  start 
ing,  and  he  was  vexed  because  the  wind  would  not  blow. 
He  walked  nervously  from  the  forward  platform  to  the 
after  one,  with  his  coat  still  on  his  arm. 

"  We  shall  not  get  over  to-night,"  said  he  impatiently, 
as  he  stopped  by  the  side  of  the  ferryman,  and  threw  his 
coat  down  upon  the  platform,  while  he  wiped  the  perspira 
tion  from  his  brow. 

"  Yes,  I  guess  we  shall,"  replied  John  Wilford. 

"  I'll  give  you  a  dollar  if  you  will  land  me  at  Pointville 
by  three  o'clock." 

"  I  can't  make  the  wind  blow,  if  you  would  give  me  a 
hundred  dollars." 

"  Can't  you  use  the  pole  or  the  oars  ?  "  said  the  bank 
director  petulantly ;  "  you  kept  me  waiting  half  an  hour 
before  you  started." 

"  I  couldn't  help  that,"  replied  John  Wilford. 

Mr.  Randall  walked  to  the  forward  platform,  fretting 
with  impatience  at  the  indifference  of  the  ferryman.  He 
stood  for  a  few  moments  gazing  at  the  Vermont  shore,  and 
appeared  to  be  engaged  in  estimating  the  distance  yet  to  be 
accomplished.  The  calculation  was  not  satisfactory,  and 


Haste  and  Waste  17 

the  bank  director's  wrath  was  on  the  increase.  With  hasty 
step  he  walked  aft  again. 

"  I  think  we  shall  have  more  wind  in  a  minute,"  said  John 
Wilford,  as  he  stepped  down  from  the  platform  and  ad 
justed  the  sheet. 

"  If  we  don't,  I  shall  go  crazy,"  replied  Mr.  Randall. 

When  he  had  placed  one  foot  on  the  platform,  by  some 
means  the  drop,  true  to  its  name,  went  down  and  splashed 
in  the  water.  The  bank  director  stepped  back  in  season 
to  save  himself  from  a  cold  bath  or  a  watery  grave,  as  the 
case  might  be. 

"  My  coat !  save  my  coat !  "  shouted  Mr.  Randall,  as  the 
garment  rolled  off  the  platform  into  the  water. 

"  Why  didn't  you  hold  on  to  it?  "  said  John  Wilford. 

"  Save  my  coat !  There  is  six  thousand  dollars  in  the 
pocket,"  groaned  the  unhappy  bank  director. 


CHAPTER    III 

SIX    THOUSAND    DOLLARS 

WITHIN  half  a  mile  of  the  ferryman's  cottage,  at  Port 
Rock,  was  the  summer  residence  of  Mr.  Sherwood,  who, 
two  years  before,  had  become  the  husband  of  Bertha  Grant, 
of  Woodville.  The  scenery  in  the  vicinity  was  beautiful, 
and  the  mansion  commanded  a  splendid  view  of  the  Adi 
rondack  Mountains  and  of  the  lake. 

Mr.  Sherwood  was  an  enthusiastic  admirer  of  the  scenery 
of  Lake  Champlain.  His  constant  visits  at  Woodville  had 
given  him  a  taste  for  aquatic  sports,  in  which  he  was  dis 
posed  to  indulge  on  a  larger  scale  than  ever  had  been  known 
at  Woodville.  He  had  been  remarkably  fortunate  in  his 
financial  operations,  and  was  already  a  wealthy  man. 
Though  he  did  not  retire  from  active  business,  he  had  taken 
a  partner,  which  enabled  him  to  spend  a  part  of  his  time 
during  the  summer  at  his  country  house  on  the  lake. 

Mr.  Grant  had  gone  to  Europe  a  second  time,  to  be  ab 
sent  during  the  summer,  and  Miss  Fanny  and  Fanny  Jane 


1 8  Haste  and  Waste 

had  accepted  Bertha's  invitation  to  spend  a  few  weeks  at 
Port  Rock.  A  splendid  time  had  been  promised  them  by 
Mrs.  Sherwood,  who  had  made  extensive  preparations  for 
their  visit.  The  arrangements  included  a  novelty  which 
offered  a  very  brilliant  prospect  to  the  party,  and  excited 
the  imagination  even  of  the  older  ones  to  the  highest  pitch. 

This  novelty  was  nothing  less  than  a  miniature  steam 
boat,  which  had  already  been  christened  the  Woodville,  in 
honor  of  the  home  of  the  owner's  lady.  She  was  a  splendid 
little  craft,  and  as  perfect  in  her  machinery  and  appoint 
ments  as  any  steamer  that  ever  floated.  She  was  a  side- 
wheel  boat,  sixty  feet  in  length,  by  twelve  feet  beam.  For 
ward  there  were  a  regular  wheel-house,  a  small  kitchen, 
and  other  rooms  usually  found  in  a  steamer.  Abaft  the 
wheels  there  were  a  saloon  and  two  staterooms.  Of  course 
all  these  apartments,  as  well  as  the  cabin  below,  were  very 
contracted  in  their  dimensions ;  but  they  were  fitted  up  in 
the  most  elegant  style. 

The  Woodville  had  cost  a  great  deal  of  money ;  but  her 
owner  expected  to  realize  a  full  return  for  it  in  the  enjoy 
ment  she  would  afford  him,  his  wife,  and  their  friends.  She 
had  been  sent  up  the  Hudson,  and  through  the  canal  to 
Whitehall,  and  thence  to  Port  Henry,  where  she  had  ar 
rived  on  the  day  before  Lawry  Wilford's  return  to  Port 
Rock. 

On  board  of  the  little  steamer  there  is  an  old  friend  of 
our  readers.  He  may  be  found  in  the  engine-room ;  and 
as  he  rubs  up  the  polished  iron  of  the  machinery,  he  is 
thinking  of  Fanny  Jane  Grant,  with  whom  he  escaped  from 
the  Indians  in  Minnesota,  and  whom  he  expects  on  board 
with  Mr.  Sherwood's  party.  The  young  man,  now  sixteen 
years  of  age,  is  the  engineer  of  the  Woodville.  Though  he 
has  been  but  two  years  learning  the  trade  of  machinist,  he  is 
as  thoroughly  acquainted  with  every  part  of  a  marine-en 
gine  as  though  he  had  spent  his  lifetime  in  studying  it. 

The  engine  of  the  Woodville  was  built  at  the  works  where 
Ethan  French  was  learning  his  trade,  and  he  had  been  em 
ployed  in  its  construction.  As  he  was  a  frequent  visitor  at 


Haste  and  Waste  19 

Woodville,  he  had  petitioned  for  the  situation  he  now  held. 
At  first,  Mr.  Sherwood  was  not  willing  to  trust  him;  but 
Ethan's  employers  declared  that  he  was  a  man  in  every 
thing  but  years,  and  was  fully  competent  to  manage  the 
engine,  and  even  to  build  one  after  the  designs  were  made. 
He  had  come  up  from  New  York  in  the  steamer.  He  had 
seen  Mr.  Sherwood  at  Port  Henry,  on  his  arrival,  and  had 
been  ordered  to  have  the  boat  in  readiness  to  start  on  the 
following  morning,  when  the  family  would  be  passengers. 

Mr.  Sherwood  had  already  selected  Lawry  Wilford  as 
the  pilot  of  the  Woodville.  He  was  small  in  stature,  and 
would  look  better  in  the  wheel-house  than  a  full-grown  man. 
He  had  often  met  the  young  pilot,  and  had  been  greatly 
pleased  with  his  energy  and  decision.  Lawry  had  been  em 
ployed  by  Miss  Fanny  several  times  to  row  her  on  the  lake ; 
and  he  had  served  her  so  faithfully  that  her  influence  was 
not  wanting  in  procuring  for  him  the  situation. 

Lawry,  not  yet  informed  of  the  honorable  and  respon 
sible  position  which  had  been  awarded  to  him,  walked  up 
to  Mr.  Sherwood's  house.  He  had  heard  Miss  Fanny  speak 
of  the  Woodville,  while  in  the  boat  with  him,  and  had  lis 
tened  with  delight  to  her  enthusiastic  description  of  the 
beautiful  craft.  He  was  quite  as  anxious  to  see  her  as  any 
of  the  party  who  were  more  directly  interested  in  her. 

"  Can  I  see  Mr.  Sherwood  ?  "  asked  Lawry. 

"  He  has  gone  away,"  replied  the  man. 

"  Where  has  he  gone?  " 

"  To  Port  Henry ;  he  went  in  the  carriage,  and  is  coming 
back  in  the  new  steamboat." 

"  Has  he  got  a  pilot?  "  continued  Lawry  anxiously. 

"  I  don't  know ;  he  expected  you,  I  believe ;  but  when 
you  didn't  come  back,  he  couldn't  wait  any  longer.  I  heard 
him  say  he  could  pilot  her  himself,  and  I  suppose  he  is 
going  to  do  so." 

"  I'm  sorry  I  didn't  see  him ;  I  have  but  just  got  home," 
replied  Lawry. 

He  wanted  to  pilot  the  beautiful  little  steamer  up  from 
Port  Henry.  He  wanted  to  see  her;  wanted  to  make  her 


2O  Haste  and  Waste 

acquaintance,  for  she  promised  to  be  the  belle  of  the  lake. 
He  was  sorry  to  lose  the  chance,  for  it  might  prove  to  be 
a  valuable  one  to  him.  Mr.  Sherwood  was  very  liberal,  and 
he  hoped  he  would  not  engage  another  pilot.  It  was  no  use 
to  complain,  and  Lawry  walked  back  to  the  ferry,  where 
he  could  see  the  steamer  when  she  arrived.  When  he 
reached  the  landing-place,  the  ferry-boat  was  about  half 
way  across  the  lake,  and  his  attention  was  attracted  by  the 
strange  movements  of  those  on  board  of  her.  His  father 
was  laboring  at  the  steering-oar  with  a  zeal  which  indicated 
that  some  unusual  event  had  occurred.  The  ferry-boat 
was  thrown  up  into  the  wind,  and  while  Lawry  was  waiting 
to  ascertain  what  the  matter  was,  his  father  leaped  into  the 
water. 

It  was  now  evident  to  Lawry  that  something  serious  had 
happened,  and  he  sprang  into  the  small  keel-boat,  used  for 
conveying  foot-passengers  across  the  lake,  which  was  fas 
tened  to  a  stake  on  the  shore.  Taking  the  oars,  he  pulled 
with  all  his  might  toward  the  ferry-boat.  He  was  a  stout 
boy,  and  handled  his  oars  very  skilfully ;  but  before  he  could 
reach  the  scene  of  the  excitement,  his  father  had  returned 
to  the  bateau. 

"  There's  your  coat,"  said  John  Wilford. 

Mr.  Randall  seized  the  garment  with  convulsive  energy, 
and  with  trembling  hands  felt  for  the  pocketbook  in  which 
the  six  thousand  dollars  had  been  kept. 

"  It  is  gone !  "  gasped  he ;  and  he  seemed  ready  to  sink 
down  in  the  bottom  of  the  boat  when  he  discovered  his  loss. 

"  Gone !  "  exclaimed  John  Wilford. 

"  What's  the  matter?  "  asked  Lawry. 

"  I've  lost  my  pocketbook  with  six  thousand  dollars  in 
it,"  groaned  the  bank  director. 

"  How  did  you  lose  it  ?  "  demanded  Lawry. 

"  That  drop  came  down  and  let  my  coat  into  the  lake ; 
but  I  don't  see  how  my  pocketbook  could  get  out  of  the 
coat." 

"  I  don't  believe  the  money  was  in  the  pocket,"  added  the 
ferryman. 


Haste  and  Waste  21 

"Yes,  it  was,"  persisted  Mr.  Randall. 

"  I  don't  see  how  it  could  fall  out  of  the  pocket,"  said 
John  Wilford. 

"  Nor  I ;  but  the  money  is  gone,"  answered  the  bank 
director,  with  a  vacant  stare.  "  I'm  ruined !  " 

"  Well,  I  can't  help  it.  I've  done  all  I  could  for  you. 
I  tried  to  save  it ;  and  if  I  get  the  rheumatism  for  a  month 
or  two,  it  will  be  a  bad  job  for  me." 

"  Wasn't  the  pocketbook  in  the  pocket  when  you 
picked  up  the  coat  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Randall,  walking  up  to 
the  ferryman. 

"  How  should  I  know?  "  replied  John  Wilford.  "  I  gave 
you  the  coat  just  as  I  found  it." 

"  I  don't  believe  the  pocketbook  would  sink,"  added  the 
director.  "  There  was  nothing  but  paper  in  it." 

"  Of  course  it  wouldn't  sink,  then,"  interposed  the  owner 
of  the  vehicle  in  the  ferry-boat. 

"  I  don't  think  it  would,"  said  Mr.  Randall. 

"  I  know  it  wouldn't,"  protested  the  stranger.  I  dropped 
my  pocketbook  into  the  lake  once,  and  it  floated  ten  min 
utes  before  I  could  get  it  again." 

"  Then  it  must  be  floating  about  on  the  water,"  added 
Lawry.  "  I  will  try  to  find  it." 

"  I'll  go  with  you,"  said  Mr.  Randall. 

They  got  into  the  boat,  and  Lawry  pulled  about  the 
^pot  where  the  coat  had  fallen  into  the  water  for  half  an 
hour  without  discovering  the  pocketbook. 

"  I  suppose  I  must  give  it  up,"  sighed  the  director. 

"  I'm  sure  it's  not  on  the  water,"  replied  Lawry. 

"  Do  you  suppose  it  would  sink  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know ;  the  gentleman  in  the  ferry-boat  says  it 
wouldn't." 

"  Stop  a  minute,  boy,  and  I  will  soon  find  out,"  contin 
ued  the  unfortunate  loser  of  the  money. 

He  took  all  the  money  and  papers  out  of  his  wallet,  and 
stuffed  it  with  pieces  of  newspaper  which  Lawry  gave  him. 
Having  thus  prepared  the  wallet,  which  he  said  was  of  the 
same  material  as  the  lost  pocketbook,  he  placed  it  on  the 


22  Haste  and  Waste 

surface  of  the  water,  holding  his  hand  underneath  to  sav« 
it,  in  case  the  trial  should  result  differently  from  his  an 
ticipations.  It  floated,  and  he  removed  his  hand  from  un 
der  it  to  exhibit  his  confidence  in  the  law  he  had  tested. 

"  That's  plain  enough,"  said  he.  "  My  pocketbook 
hasn't  gone  to  the  bottom." 

"  It  certainly  has  not,"  replied  Lawry. 

"  Then  where  is  it? — that's  the  next  question." 

"  Are  you  sure  it  was  in  your  pocket  when  you  got  into 
the  ferry-boat  ?  " 

"  Just  as  sure  as  I  am  that  I  sit  here." 

"  You  were  very  careless  about  your  coat  on  board  of  th« 
sloop." 

"  I  know  I  was." 

"  I  don't  see  how  a  man  could  throw  down  his  coat  with 
six  thousand  dollars  in  the  pocket,"  said  Lawry. 

"  I  know  I'm  careless ;  but  I'm  so  used  to  carrying  money 
that  I  don't  think  much  about  it.  I  always  carry  it  in  a 
pocket  inside  of  my  vest,"  continued  the  director,  putting 
his  hand  in  the  place  indicated ;  "  but  this  is  a  new  vest,  and 
hasn't  any  such  pocket.  Things  don't  look  all  right  to  me. 
Is  the  ferryman  your  father?  " 

"  Yes,  sir ;  he  is." 

"  Well,  the  money's  gone,"  added  Mr.  Randall. 
"  We  will  go  back  to  the  ferry-boat." 

"  Did  you  find  it?"  asked  John  Wilford,  as  the  bank 
director  stepped  into  the  bateau. 

"  No ;  but  I'm  certain  it  has  not  gone  to  the  bottom." 

"Where  is  it,  then?  " 

"  I  don't  know;  can  you  tell  me?  " 

Mr.  Randall  looked  at  the  ferryman  very  sharply.  His 
manner  indicated  that  he  had  some  suspicions. 

"  How  can  I  tell  you?  "  replied  John  Wilford. 

"  The  money  was  in  the  coat  pocket  when  you  picked  it 
up  in  the  water — I  know  it  was." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  say  I  took  it  out  ?  "  demanded  the 
ferryman  angrily. 

"  If  you  didn't,  I  don't  see  what  has  become  of  it." 


Haste  and  Waste  ±3 

'*  Do  you  mean  to  accuse  my  father  of  stealing  ?  "  eaid 
Lawry  indignantly. 

"  I  don't  accuse  him  of  anything ;  but  here  are  the  facts, 
and  you  can  all  see  for  yourselves." 

"  You  throw  your  coat  down  anywhere.  It  would  have 
gone  overboard  from  the  sloop  if  I  hadn't  saved  it ;  and  it 
won't  do  for  so  careless  a  man  as  you  are  to  accuse  any 
body  of  stealing  your  money,"  added  Lawry  angrily. 
"  Very  likely  you  lost  it  out  of  the  pocket  before  you  got 
into  the  ferry-boat." 

"  Never  mind  him,  Lawry.  I  haven't  got  his  pocket- 
book,"  interposed  the  ferryman. 

"  I  know  you  haven't,  father ;  and  it  makes  me  mad  to 
hear  him  accuse  you  of  stealing  it." 

"  Mr.  Randall,  if  you  think  I've  got  your  money,  I  want 
you  to  satisfy  yourself  on  the  point  at  once,"  continued 
John  Wilford,  turning  to  the  director. 

"  I  hope  you  haven't." 

"  But  you  think  I  have.     Search  me,  then." 

Greatly  to  the  indignation  of  Lawry,  Mr.  Randall  did 
search  the  ferryman;  turned  out  his  pockets,  and  exam 
ined  every  part  of  his  wet  garments.  The  pocketbook  was 
not  upon  his  person ;  and  the  loser,  in  spite  of  the  laws  of 
specific  gravity,  which  he  had  just  demonstrated,  was  al 
most  compelled  to  believe  that  his  money  had  gone  to  the 
bottom  of  the  lake. 


CHAPTER   IV 

THE    STEAMER    "  WOODVILLE  " 

MR.  RANDALL,,  now  that  his  money  was  lost,  declared 
that  he  had  no  business  in  Shoreham,  and  it  was  useless  for 
him  to  go  there.  The  six  thousand  dollars  belonged  to  his 
bank,  and,  having  an  opportunity  to  put  this  sum  in  cir 
culation,  where  it  would  be  "  kept  out  "  for  several  weeks, 
he  was  making  this  journey  to  accomplish  the  business. 


24  Haste  and  Waste 

He  facetiously  remarked  that  it  was  likely  to  be  kept  out 
longer  than  was  desirable. 

Lawry  was  so  sure  Mr.  Randall  had  dropped  the  pock- 
etbook  on  the  shore  before  he  got  into  the  ferry-boat,  that 
he  insisted  upon  returning  to  Pork  Rock  and  having  the 
ground  searched.  Though  the  bank  director  was  satisfied 
that  the  pocketbook  was  safe  in  his  possession  when  he  en 
tered  the  bateau,  he  was  willing  to  return,  since  the  object 
of  his  journey  had  been  defeated,  and  Lawry  pulled  him 
back  to  the  landing-place.  The  ground  under  the  tree,  and 
over  which  Mr.  Randall  had  walked  while  waiting  for  the 
ferryman,  was  carefully  examined,  but  the  lost  pocketbook 
could  not  be  found. 

The  bank  director  had  very  little  to  say  after  he  left  the 
ferry-boat ;  but  he  was  very  thoughtful,  as  a  man  who  had 
lost  six  thousand  dollars  might  reasonably  be.  After  the 
search  on  shore  was  completed,  he  walked  off  toward  the 
village  without  mentioning  his  intentions,  but  he  looked 
as  though  he  purposed  to  do  something. 

"  What's  the  matter,  Lawry?  "  asked  Mrs.  Wilford,  who 
had  been  watching  the  movements  of  Mr.  Randall  and  her 
son  from  the  window,  as  she  came  out  of  the  house. 

"  The  gentleman  has  lost  his  money — six  thousand  dol 
lars,"  replied  Lawry. 

"  Lost  it ! "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Wilford,  recalling  the  con 
versation  with  her  husb&nd  at  dinner. 

"  His  coat  fell  overboard,  and  the  pocketbook  dropped 
out." 

"  Fell  into  the  lake,"  added  she,  with  a  feeling  of  relief. 

"  Yes ;  father  swam  out  and  got  the  coat,  but  the  money 
was  gone." 

Mrs.  Wilford  returned  to  the  house.  Perhaps  she  had 
some  misgivings,  and  felt  more  than  before  that  those  who 
make  haste  to  be  rich  are  often  ruined ;  but  she  said  nothing. 
Lawry  was  perplexed  at  the  disappearance  of  the  money. 
Mr.  Randall  had  proved  that  a  pocketbook  with  nothing 
but  paper  in  it  would  not  sink  within  a  reasonable  time. 
If  the  lost  treasure  had  fallen  into  the  water,  he  would 


Haste  and  Waste  25 

certainly  have  found  it.  If  it  had  been  dropped  on  shore 
or  in  the  ferry-boat,  it  would  not  have  disappeared  so 
strangely. 

Lawry  was  so  positive  that  the  pocketbook  was  still  in 
the  ferry-boat,  or  on  the  shore,  that  he  renewed  the  search, 
and  carefully  scrutinized  every  foot  of  ground  between  the 
house  and  the  landing-place,  but  with  no  better  success  than 
before.  By  this  time  the  ferry-boat,  which  had  been  fa 
vored  by  a  good  wind  during  the  last  half-hour,  returned. 

"  What  do  you  suppose  became  of  that  pocketbook, 
father?  "  asked  Lawry,  as  he  stepped  into  the  boat. 

"  I  don't  know.  I  don't  believe  he  lost  any  pocketbook," 
replied  John  Wilford. 

"  He  says  he  did,  and  I  saw  it  myself." 

"  Perhaps  you  did,  but  I  don't  believe  there  was  any  six 
thousand  dollars  in  it.  If  there  had  been,  he  wouldn't  have 
thrown  it  about  as  he  did." 

"  He  says  there  was  six  thousand  dollars  in  the  pocket- 
book." 

"  I  don't  believe  it.  It's  a  likely  story  that  a  man  would 
throw  down  his  coat,  with  all  that  money  in  the  pocket, 
on  the  drop.  In  my  opinion  it's  some  trick  to  cheat  his 
creditors  out  of  their  just  due." 

"  It  don't  seem  possible." 

"  That's  the  truth,  you  may  depend  upon  it.  That's  the 
way  men  make  money." 

Lawry  was  by  no  means  satisfied  with  this  explanation. 
He  went  into  the  boat,  and  carefully  searched  every  part 
of  it.  His  father  watched  him  with  considerable  interest, 
declaring  that  it  was  useless  to  look  for  what  had  not  been 
lost. 

"  You  had  better  go  up  and  see  Mr.  Sherwood  now,"  said 
Mr.  Wilford. 

"  I  have  been  up,  and  he  was  not  at  home." 

"  You  better  go  again,  then." 

"  He  has  gone  to  Port  Henry  after  the  new  steamer." 

"Has  he  got  a  pilot?" 

"  Not  that  I  know  of." 


26  Haste  and  Waste 

"  He  «an't  get  one  at  Port  Henry,"  said  the  ferryman. 

"  I  fuppose  he  is  going  to  pilot  her  himself." 

"  He  will  pilot  her  on  the  rocks,  then.  He  don't  know 
anything  about  Lake  Champlain.  Why  don't  you  row  up 
the  lake  till  you  meet  the  boat?  " 

"  I  was  thinking  of  doing  so,  but  I  can't  keep  this  money 
out  of  my  mind." 

"Why  need  you  trouble  yourself  about  that?"  de 
manded  the  father  impatiently. 

"  It  was  lost  in  your  boat,  and  I  am  very  anxious  that 
it  should  be  found.  I'm  sure  Mr.  Randall  thinks  you've 
got  it." 

"  Well,  he  searched  me,  and  found  out  that  I  hadn't  got 
it — didn't  he  ?  "  added  Mr.  Wilf ord,  with  a  sickly  smile. 

"  I  don't  like  to  have  you  suspected  of  such  a  thing,  and 
for  that  reason  I  want  to  find  the  money." 

"  You  can't  find  it,  and  I  tell  you  he  hasn't  lost  any 
money.  He's  going  to  cheat  the  bank  or  his  creditors  out 
of  six  thousand  dollars." 

"  I  don't  believe  he  would  do  such  a  thing  as  that." 

"  We  have  looked  everywhere  for  the  money,  and  it  can't 
be  found.  It's  no  use  to  bother  any  more  about  the  matter. 
It's  gone,  and  that's  the  end  of  it — if  he  lost  it  at  all.  You 
have  looked  all  over  the  ferry-boat,  and  it  isn't  there.  If 
it  had  been  floating  in  the  lake,  you  couldn't  help  seeing  it. 
Now,  you  better  take  your  boat  and  row  up  the  lake  till 
you  meet  the  steamer." 

"  I'm  going  pretty  soon." 

"  Better  go  now.  I'm  going  up  after  a  drink  of  water. 
If  you  don't  go  pretty  soon,  you  will  be  too  late  to  do  any 
good  on  board  the  steamer,"  said  Mr.  Wilford,  hoping,  if 
he  left  the  spot,  his  son  would  depart  also. 

Lawry  hauled  in  the  rowboat,  ready  to  embark ;  but,  be 
fore  he  did  so,  he  made  one  more  search  in  the  bateau  for 
the  pocketbook.  The  timbers  of  the  ferry-boat  were  ceiled 
over  on  the  bottom,  leaving  a  space  for  the  leakage  between 
the  inner  and  the  outer  planking.  Near  the  mast  there  was 
a  well,  from  which,  with  a  grain-shovel,  the  water  was 


Haste  and  Waste  27 

thrown  out.  Lawry  examined  this  hole,  feeling  under  the 
planks,  and  thrusting  the  shovel  in  as  far  as  he  could.  This 
search  was  unavailing,  and  he  gave  it  up  in  despair.  As 
he  stepped  on  shore,  his  curiosity  prompted  him  to  look 
under  the  platform  outside  of  the  boat. 

The  pocketbook  was  there ! 

In  a  space  between  the  planks,  a  foot  above  the  surface 
of  the  water,  and  the  same  distance  from  the  side,  the  pock 
etbook  was  thrust  in.  It  could  not  be  seen  from  the  inside 
of  the  boat,  nor  from  the  platform ;  and  it  could  not  have 
got  there  of  itself. 

Lawry's  face  turned  red,  and  his  heart  bounded  with 
emotion,  for  the  situation  of  the  pocketbook  pointed  to  but 
one  conclusion.  It  had  been  placed  there  by  his  father,  who- 
had  evidently  taken  it  from  the  pocket  of  the  coat,  and 
concealed  it,  either  before  or  after  the  garment  had  fallen 
into  the  water.  He  was  appalled  and  horrified  at  the  dis 
covery.  He  knew  that  his  father  was  discontented  with  his 
lot ;  that  he  was  indolent  and  thriftless ;  but  he  did  not  think 
him  capable  of  committing  a  crime. 

He  reached  under  the  platform,  and  took  the  pocketbook 
from  its  hiding-place.  It  was  perfectly  dry;  it  had  not 
been  in  the  water.  John  Wilford  had  probably  taken  it 
from  the  coat  pocket,  and  after  thrusting  it  into  the  aper 
ture  beneath  the  drop,  had  let  the  platform  fall  into  the 
water  for  the  purpose  of  dislodging  the  coat,  and  making 
it  appear  that  the  money  had  been  lost  in  the  lake. 

The  pocketbook  seemed  to  burn  in  Lawry's  fingers,  and 
he  returned  it  to  the  place  where  he  had  found  it;  for  he 
was  confused,  and  did  not  know  what  to  do.  He  stood,  with 
flushed  face  and  beating  heart,  on  the  shore,  considering 
what  course  he  should  take.  He  could  not  think  of  expos 
ing  his  father's  crime,  on  the  one  hand,  or  of  permitting 
him  to  retain  the  money,  on  the  other. 

After  long  and  painful  deliberation,  he  decided  to  take 
the  pocketbook,  follow  Mr.  Randall,  and  return  it  to  him, 
telling  him  that  he  had  found  it  under  the  drop  of  the  boat. 


28  Haste  and  Waste 

He  was  about  to  adopt  this  course  when  his  father  came 
out  of  the  house,  and  walked  down  to  the  ferry-boat. 

"  Not  gone  yet?  "  said  Mr.  Wilford. 

"  No,  sir ;  that  money  has  troubled  me  so  much  that  I 
could  not  go,"  replied  Lawry. 

"  What's  the  use  of  bothering  your  head  about  that  any 
longer?  "  added  the  father  petulantly. 

"  It  troubles  me  terribly." 

"  Let  it  go ;  it  can't  be  found,  and  that's  the  end  of  it." 

"  But  it  can  be  found." 

"  Why  don't  you  find  it,  then?  " 

"  I  have  found  it,  father ! " 

"What!" 

"  It's  in  a  crack  under  the  platform,"  replied  Lawry. 

"  You  don't  mean  so !  "  exclaimed  the  ferryman. 

"  It's  no  use  to  talk  round  the  barn,  father ;  the  pocket- 
book  is  just  where  you  put  it." 

"  Where  I  put  it?    What  do  you  mean,  Lawry?  " 

"  There  it  is  in  the  crack  under  the  drop,  a  foot  above 
the  water.  It  did  not  wash  in  there  of  itself.  Oh,  father !  " 

Lawry,  unable  longer  to  control  his  feelings,  burst  into 
tears. 

"  What  are  you  crying  about,  Lawry?  Do  you  think  I 
hid  the  pocketbook?  " 

"  I  know  you  did,  father,"  sobbed  Lawry. 

"  Do  you  accuse  me  of  stealing?  "  demanded  Mr.  Wil 
ford,  with  a  weak  show  of  indignation. 

"  I  don't  accuse  you  of  anything,  father ;  but  there  it  is." 

"  You  mean  to  say  that  I  stole  it?  " 

"Oh,  father!" 

"  Stop  your  whining,  Lawry !  What  possessed  you  to 
poke  round  after  what  did  not  concern  you?  Now,  shut  up, 
and  go  off  about  your  business." 

"  You  will  not  keep  it,  father?  " 

"  I  haven't  got  it.  If  you  have  found  it,  I  suppose 
there  is  time  enough  to  think  what  is  best  to  be  done." 

"  I  don't  want  any  time  to  think  of  it,"  replied  Lawry ; 


Haste  and  Waste  29 

and  before   his    father   could   prevent   him,   he   took    the 
pocketbook  from  its  place  of  concealment. 

"What  are  you  going  to  do  with  it?  "  demanded  Mr. 
Wilford. 

"  I'm  going  to  find  Mr.  Randall,  and  give  it  back  to  him, 
as  quick  as  I  can." 

"  What's  the  use  of  doing  that?  " 

"  Because  it's  the  right  way  to  do." 

"  That  isn't  the  way  to  get  rich." 

"  But  it's  the  way  to  keep  honest." 

"  Give  it  to  me,  Lawry." 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  with  it,  father?  " 

"  That's  my  business." 

"  I  shall  give  it  back  to  the  owner." 

"  No,  you  won't,  Lawry.     Do  you  want  to  get  me  into 
trouble — to  have  me  sent  to  j  ail  ?  " 

"  If  I   give  it  back  to   Mr.   Randall,  there  will  be  no 
trouble." 

"  Lawry,  I've  been  poor  and  honest  long  enough.     I'm 
going  to  do  as  other  men  do.     I'm  going  to  get  rich." 

"By  keeping  this  money?"  exclaimed  the  son. 

"  You  needn't  talk  any  more  about  it ;  I  put  the  money 
where  you  found  it." 

"  I  know  you  did." 

"  Give  it  to  me." 

"  I  will  not,  father,  if  you  mean  to  keep  it." 

"  I  do  mean  to  keep  it.    Do  you  think  I  have  run  all  this 
risk  for  nothing?     Give  me  the  pocketbook." 

"  Don't  think  of  such  a  thing  as  keeping  it,  father," 
pleaded  Lawry. 

"  I'm  going  to  be  rich,"  replied  the  father  doggedly. 

"  You  know  what  mother  said  about  making  haste  to  be 
rich :  '  Haste  makes  waste.' ' 

"  It  will  make  waste  if  you  don't  give  me  the  pocket- 
book." 

"  Mr.  Randall  will  not  be  satisfied  till  he  gets  his  money, 
and  you  will  certainly  be  found  out." 
J3 


30  Haste  and  Waste 

"  No,  I  shall  not  be  found  out.  I'll  go  to  New  York  and 
change  off  the  money  this  very  night." 

"  But  only  think  of  it,  father.  You  will  be  a  thief.  You 
never  will  have  a  moment's  peace  as  long  as  you  live." 

"  I  never  did  have,  and  I  shall  not  be  any  worse  off," 
said  Mr.  Wilford  coldly.  "  There  comes  your  steamer.  She 
hasn't  got  any  pilot  on  board;  I  know  by  the  way  she 
steers.  You  had  better  go  and  see  to  her,  for  she  is  running 
right  for  the  Goblins." 

Lawry  glanced  at  the  Woodville,  as  she  appeared  round 
ing  a  point,  two  miles  distant. 

"  If  you  will  go  and  find  Mr.  Randall,  I  will  give  you  the 
pocketbook,  father,"  replied  Lawry. 

"  Well,  I  guess  you  are  right,  Lawry,  and  I'll  do  it." 

"  He  has  gone  up  to  the  village,"  added  Lawry,  as  he 
handed  the  money  to  his  father. 

CHAPTER    V 

HASTE    AND    WASTE 

LAWRY,  satisfied  that  his  father  had  come  to  his  senses, 
and  would  restore  the  pocketbook  to  Mr.  Randall,  hastened 
into  the  boat,  and  pulled  toward  the  Woodville.  He  was 
afraid  Mr.  Sherwood  had  been  too  venturesome  in  attempt 
ing  to  pilot  the  little  steamer  in  waters  with  which  he  was 
entirely  unfamiliar;  but  he  hoped  for  the  bes'c,  and  rowed 
as  hard  as  he  could,  in  order  to  give  him  timely  warning  of 
the  perils  which  lay  in  the  path  of  the  beautiful  craft. 

About  half  a  mile  above  the  landing  at  Port  Rock  there 
was  a  dangerous  ledge,  called  the  Goblins,  some  of  whose 
sharp  points  were  within  a  foot  of  the  surface  of  the  water 
when  the  lake  was  low.  They  were  some  distance  from  the 
usual  track  of  steamers,  and  there  was  no  buoy,  or  other 
mark,  on  them.  The  Woodville  was  headed  toward  the 
rocks,  as  the  ferryman  had  said,  and  it  was  impossible  for 
Lawry  to  get  within  hailing  distance  of  her  before  she 
reached  them.  He  pulled  with  all  his  strength,  and  had 
hoped  to  overhaul  her  in  season  to  avert  a  catastrophe. 


Haste  and  Waste  31 

Occasionally,  as  he  rowed,  he  looked  behind  him  to  ob 
serve  the  course  of  the  steamer.  She  was  almost  up  to  the 
Goblins,  while  he  was  too  far  off  to  make  himself  heard  in 
her  wheel-house.  He  was  appalled  at  her  danger,  and  the 
cold  sweat  stood  on  his  brow,  as  he  saw  her  hastening  to 
certain  destruction.  He  could  no  longer  hope  to  reach  her, 
and  he  ceased  rowing. 

Standing  up  in  his  boat,  he  waved  his  hat,  and  made 
other  signs  to  warn  the  imprudent  pilot  of  his  danger. 
With  one  of  the  oars  he  tried  to  signify  to  him  that  he  must 
keep  off;  but  no  notice  was  taken  of  his  warning.  On  the 
forward  deck  of  the  little  craft  stood  three  ladies,  who,  tak 
ing  the  boatman's  energetic  gestures  for  friendly  saluta 
tions,  were  waving  their  handkerchiefs  to  him. 

"  Hard  aport  your  helm !  "  shouted  Lawry. 

Mr.  Sherwood  sounded  the  whistle,  evidently  taking  the 
shout  as  a  cheer  of  congratulation  at  his  safe  arrival. 

"  Keep  off !  "  roared  Lawry. 

Again  the  whistle  sounded,  and  the  ladies  waved  their 
handkerchiefs  more  vigorously  than  before.  The  young 
pilot  was  in  despair.  The  Woodville  was  going  at  full 
speed  directly  upon  the  rocks,  whose  sharp  points  would 
grind  her  to  powder  if  she  struck  upon  them. 

"  Hard  aport !  "  repeated  Lawry  desperately. 

Once  more  the  supposed  cheer  was  answered  by  the 
whistle  and  the  waving  of  the  ladies'  handkerchiefs,  and 
still  the  fairy  craft  dashed  on  toward  the  rocks. 

"  By  gracious !  she's  on  them,  as  sure  as  the  world !  "  ex 
claimed  Lawry  to  himself,  hardly  able  to  breathe. 

He  had  hardly  uttered  the  words  before  he  heard  the 
crash  which  announced  the  doom  of  the  Woodville.  Her 
sharp  bow  slid  upon  the  ledge,  and  she  suddenly  stopped  in 
her  mad  flight. 

Lawry  bent  on  his  oars  again,  horrified  by  the  accident. 
He  pulled  as  he  had  never  pulled  before.  A  moment  or  two 
after  the  steamer  struck,  he  was  startled  by  a  succession  of 
shrill  shrieks  from  the  ladies,  and  he  turned  to  see  what  had 
happened.  The  Woodville  had  filled,  rolled  off  the  rock, 


32  Haste  and  Waste 

and  sank  in  deep  water,  leaving  her  passengers  floating 
helplessly  on  the  lake.  The  upper  half  of  her  smokestack 
was  all  that  remained  in  sight  of  the  beautiful  craft  which 
three  minutes  before  had  been  a  thing  of  beauty. 

The  young  pilot  did  not  pause  an  instant  to  contemplate 
the  scene  of  destruction.  He  saw  only  the  helpless  persons 
struggling  for  life  in  the  water,  and  he  renewed  his  labors 
with  a  vigor  and  skill  which  soon  brought  him  to  the  suffer 
ers.  Mr.  Sherwood  was  supporting  his  wife;  but  both  of 
them  were  nearly  exhausted.  Lawry  helped  Bertha  into 
the  boat,  and  told  her  husband  to  hold  on  at  the  rail. 

Ethan  French,  with  his  arm  around  the  waist  of  Fanny 
Jane,  was  holding  on  at  the  smokestack,  where  also  the  fire 
man  of  the  boat  was  supporting  himself. 

"  Where  is  Fanny  ?  "  gasped  Mr.  Sherwood. 

"  I'm  afraid  she  has  gone  down,"  replied  Ethan  French. 
"  I  saw  her  just  there  a  moment  since." 

"  I  see  her !  "  said  Lawry,  as  he  dived  into  the  lake. 

Fanny,  exhausted  by  her  struggles,  had  sunk,  and 
Lawry,  with  a  strong  arm,  bore  her  to  the  surface  again ; 
but  she  was  too  large  and  heavy  for  him,  and  he  could  not 
support  her. 

Before  the  arrival  of  the  boat,  Ethan  was  in  the  act  of 
transferring  his  helpless  burden  to  the  arms  of  the  fireman, 
that  he  might  go  to  the  assistance  of  Miss  Fanny ;  and,  as 
soon  as  Lawry  appeared,  he  swam  out  to  help  him.  With 
the  aid  of  the  young  engineer,  the  exhausted  lady  was  lifted 
into  the  boat.  Fanny  Jane  was  next  taken  in,  but  there  was 
no  room  for  any  more. 

Though  Miss  Fanny  was  in  a  worse  condition  than  the 
other  ladies,  she  still  had  her  senses ;  and  none  of  the  party 
was  in  danger.  Mr.  Sherwood,  Ethan,  and  the  fireman 
were  still  in  the  water,  holding  on  at  the  rail  of  the  boat. 
Lawry  took  the  oars  and  pulled  toward  the  ferry-landing. 

"  Thank  God,  we  are  all  safe ! "  said  Mr.  Sherwood. 

"  Some  of  us  must  have  been  drowned  if  Lawry  had  not 
come  to  our  assistance,"  added  Miss  Fanny.  "  I  had  given 


Haste  and  Waste  33 

up,  and  was  sinking  to  the  bottom.  My  senses  were  leaving 
me,  when  I  felt  his  grasp  on  my  arm." 

"  You  have  done  bravely,  Lawry,"  added  Bertha. 

But  the  party  did  not  feel  much  like  talking.  They  were 
all  grateful  to  God,  who  had,  through  the  agency  of  the 
young  pilot,  saved  them  from  their  perilous  situation. 
When  the  boat  reached  the  landing-place,  the  ladies  were 
conducted  to  the  cottage  of  John  Wilford,  where  everything 
was  done  by  Mrs.  Wilford  to  promote  their  comfort.  Lawry 
hastened  up  to  Mr.  Sherwood's  house  to  procure  the  car 
riage,  which  had  fortunately  just  returned  from  Port 
Henry,  and  the  party  were  soon  conveyed  to  their  home. 

Dry  clothing  and  a  little  rest  soon  restored  Mr.  Sherwood 
and  the  ladies  to  their  wonted  spirits,  and  all  of  them  wished 
to  see  their  brave  deliverer.  He  was  sent  for,  and  presented 
himself  to  the  ladies  in  the  drawing-room.  Lawry,  anxious 
to  learn  the  condition  of  the  ladies  after  their  cold  bath,  and 
their  terrible  fright,  had  followed  the  carriage  up  to  the 
house,  and  was  telling  the  coachman  the  particulars  of  the 
catastrophe  when  he  was  summoned  to  the  presence  of  the 
family. 

Never  was  a  young  man  more  earnestly  and  sincerely 
thanked  for  a  brave  and  noble  deed;  and  Mr.  Sherwood 
hinted  that  something  more  substantial  than  thanks  would 
be  bestowed  upon  him. 

"  Thank  you,  sir ;  I  don't  need  anything  more,"  replied 
Lawry,  blushing.  "  What  will  be  done  with  the  steamer, 
now  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  I  have  got  enough  of  her,"  said  Mr.  Sherwood.  "  She 
has  given  me  a  shock  I  shall  never  forget." 

"  I  don't  think  it  was  the  fault  of  the  boat,  sir,"  sug 
gested  Lawry.  "  I  did  all  I  could  to  have  you  keep  off  the 
rocks." 

"  We  all  thought  you  were  crazy,  you  shook  so  in  your 
boat." 

"  I  was  trying  to  warn  you  of  your  danger." 

"  Was  that  what  you  meant  ?  We  thought  you  were 
cheering  the  Woodville." 


34  Haste  and  Waste 

"  I  saw  you  were  going  on  the  rocks,  and  I  shouted  and 
made  signs  for  you  to  keep  off." 

"  You  certainly  did  all  you  could  for  us,  both  before  and 
after  the  accident,"  added  Mr.  Sherwood.  "  When  did  you 
get  home,  Lawry  ?  " 

"  To-day  noon,  just  after  you  went  to  the  house  for  me. 
I  came  right  up  to  see  you ;  but  I  found  you  had  gone." 

"  Yes ;  I  was  so  impatient  to  get  that  little  steamer  up 
here,  that  I  couldn't  wait  any  longer." 

"  And  what  a  waste  your  haste  has  made !  "  laughed  Mrs. 
Sherwood.  "  There  is  our  fine  little  steamer  at  the  bottom 
of  the  lake." 

"  She  may  lie  there,  for  all  me,"  added  Mr.  Sherwood. 

"  I  should  not  dare  to  put  my  foot  on  board  of  her 
again,"  said  Miss  Fanny. 

"  Nor  I,"  chimed  in  Fanny  Jane. 

"  She  isn't  to  blame,  Mr.  Sherwood,"  interposed  Ethan 
French.  "  She  worked  as  though  she  had  been  alive." 

"  No  steamer  could  stand  such  a  thump  on  the  Goblins," 
added  Lawry. 

"  I  don't  blame  the  boat,  of  course,"  replied  Mr.  Sher 
wood  ;  "  but  this  adventure  has  cured  me  of  my  love  for 
steamboating.  I  don't  want  to  see  another  one." 

"  Shall  you  let  the  Woodville  lie  there?  "  asked  Lawry. 

"  She's  a  wreck  now,  stove  in  and  ruined.** 

"  But  she  can  be  raised  and  repaired,  and  be  as  good  as 
ever,  or  nearly  so,"  continued  Lawry. 

"  She  is  good  for  nothing  to  me  now.  I  will  grre  her  to 
any  one  who  wants  her." 

"  There  are  plenty  who  will  want  her,"  said  Lawry. 

"  It  will  cost  them  a  fortune  to  raise  and  repair  her — 
almost  as  much  as  she  is  worth,  if  she  is  to  be  used  as  a  play 
thing.  But  I  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  she  is  a 
dangerous  machine  for  me,  and  I  don't  want  anything  more 
to  do  with  her.  I  came  very  near  drowning  my  wife  and 
my  friends  with  her;  and  this  fills  me  with  disgust  for  the 
boat  and  for  myself." 


Haste  and  Waste  35 

"  Just  now  you  spoke  of  a  reward  for  what  I  had  the 
good  luck  to  do  for  you,  Mr.  Sherwood,"  continued  Lawry. 

"  I  did ;  and  you  may  be  assured  I  shall  never  forget 
your  noble  conduct,"  replied  Mr.  Sherwood  warmly. 

"  If  you  are  going  to  give  the  Woodville  away,  sir " 

"  Well,  what?  "  asked  Mr.  Sherwood,  as  the  young  pilot 
paused. 

"  I  don't  know  as  I  ought  to  say  what  I  was  going  to 
say." 

"  Say  it,  Lawry,  say  it,"  added  Mr.  Sherwood  kindly. 

"  You  said  you  would  give  the  steamer  to  any  one  who 
wanted  her,"  continued  Lawry,  hesitating. 

"  And  you  want  her  ?  "  laughed  the  wealthy  gentleman. 

"  Yes,  sir ;  that  is  what  I  was  going  to  say." 

"  Then  she  is  yours,  Lawry ;  but  I  might  as  well  give  you 
the  fee  simple  of  a  farm  in  Ethiopia.  I  don't  feel  as  though 
I  had  given  you  anything,  my  boy." 

"  Indeed  you  have,  sir !  I  feel  as  though  you  had  made 
my  fortune  for  me ;  and  I  am  very  much  obliged  to  you,  sir." 

"  I  don't  believe  you  have  anything  to  thank  me  for, 
Lawry.  As  I  understand  it,  the  Woodville  lies  on  the  bot 
tom  of  the  lake,  with  her  bow  stove  in,  and  her  hull  as  use 
less  as  though  the  parts  had  never  been  put  together.  The 
engine  and  the  iron  and  brass  work  are  worth  a  good  deal 
of  money,  I  know;  but  it  will  cost  all  they  will  bring  to 
raise  them." 

"  I  don't  think  the  steamer  is  ruined,  sir.  I  hope  you  are 
not  giving  her  away  believing  that  she  is  not  worth  any 
thing,"  said  Lawry. 

"  I  don't  think  she  is  worth  much." 

"  I  think  she  stove  a  great  hole  in  her  bow,  and  that  is 
all  that  ails  her.  If  we  can  get  her  on  the  ways,  she  can  be 
made  as  good  as  ever  she  was  in  a  week." 

"  Whatever  her  condition,  Lawry,  she  is  yours.  I  will 
give  you  a  bill  of  sale  of  her  at  once." 

Mr.  Sherwood  executed  the  paper  in  due  form,  affixed 
the  stamp,  and  gave  the  document  to  the  young  pilot. 

"  I  can  hardly  help  weeping  when  I  think  of  the  beauti- 


36  Haste  and  Waste 

ful  little  steamer,"  said  Mrs.  Sherwood.  "  She  was  a  per 
fect  little  fairy.  How  elated  we  were  as  we  moved  up  the 
lake  in  her!  What  fine  times  we  were  promising  ourselves 
on  board  of  her !  Now  the  dear  little  craft  lies  on  the  bot 
tom  of  the  lake,  broken  and  spoiled !  " 

"  I  shouldn't  dare  to  put  my  foot  in  her  again,"  added 
Miss  Fanny.  "  I  shudder  when  I  think  of  her." 

"  I  shudder  when  I  think  of  you,  Fanny.  You  were  sink 
ing  when  Lawry  dived  down  after  you,"  said  Mr.  Sher 
wood. 

"  We  ought  all  to  be  grateful  to  God  for  His  mercy  in 
saving  us,"  added  Fanny  Jane. 

"  I  trust  we  are  grateful  to  Him;  and  I  am  sure  we  shall 
never  forget  what  Lawry  has  done  to-day,"  responded  the 
gentleman. 

"  Never !  "  exclaimed  Fanny  warmly. 

"  It  was  all  my  fault,"  continued  Mr.  Sherwood.  "  I 
am  ashamed  of  myself,  and  disgusted  with  the  boat." 

"  The  boat  is  not  to  blame,  sir,"  said  Ethan  French. 
"  She  behaved  like  a  lady." 

"  I  know  she  is  not  to  blame.  It  was  my  silly  impatience. 
I  was  in  such  a  hurry  to  try  the  steamer  that  I  could  not 
wait  for  a  pilot.  Bertha,  do  you  know  what  your  father 
used  to  say  to  me  when  I  was  in  a  hurry  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know ;  but  I  have  heard  him  say  that  you  were 
too  impatient  for  your  own  good." 

"  '  Haste  and  Waste  '  was  his  maxim,  when  I  was  not 
disposed  to  wait  the  natural  development  of  events.  By 
neglecting  this  precept,  I  have  nearly  sacrificed  the  lives  of 
my  best  friends.  Lawry,  if  you  are  going  to  be  a  steam 
boat  man,  let  me  give  you  this  maxim  for  your  government 
— '  Haste  and  Waste.'  " 

CHAPTER    VI 

THE  SHERIFF'S  VISIT 

LAWRY  put  the  bill  of  sale  of  the  Woodville  in  his  pocket, 
and  felt  like  a  steamboat  proprietor;  for  the  fact  that  his 


Haste  and  Waste  37 

steamer  lay  at  the  bottom  of  the  lake  did  not  seem  to  lessen 
her  value.  She  was  in  a  safe  place,  and  there  was  no  dan 
ger  of  her  "  blowing  up  "  or  drifting  away  from  him.  The 
haste  of  Mr.  Sherwood  had  been  "  a  windfall  "  to  him, 
though  Lawry  would  not  willingly  have  purchased  the 
steamer  at  the  peril  of  so  many  precious  lives.  He  was 
ready  to  accept  the  moral  and  prudential  deductions  from 
the  catastrophe,  and  really  believed  that  the  rich  man's 
maxim  was  a  safe  and  valuable  one. 

In  his  own  limited  experience,  Lawry  could  recall  many 
instances  where  haste  had  made  waste ;  but  the  foolish  con 
duct  of  Mr.  Sherwood  in  attempting  to  navigate  the  Wood- 
ville  in  water  with  which  he  was  totally  unacquainted  was 
the  most  impressive  example  of  the  worth  of  the  proverb, 
and  he  felt  that  the  steamer,  in  his  own  possession,  would 
always  mean  "  haste  and  waste  "  to  him. 

"  I  have  often  heard  my  father  speak  of  the  folly  of  un- 
considered  action  and  blind  haste,"  said  Bertha.  "  He  lost 
a  valued  friend  in  the  steamship  Arctic,  which  was  sunk, 
and  hundreds  of  lives  sacrificed,  by  running  at  full  speed 
in  a  dense  fog.  In  her  case,  haste  was  not  only  a  terrible 
waste  of  property,  but  of  life." 

"  That  will  be  worth  remembering,  Lawry,  when  you  are 
in  command  of  a  steamer,"  added  Mr.  Sherwood. 

"  I  don't  think  I  ever  shall  be  in  such  a  position,"  replied 
Lawry  modestly. 

"  I  am  afraid  you  never  will  be  on  board  of  the  Wood- 
ville." 

"  I'm  pretty  sure  she  can  be  raised,  though  I  may  not 
have  the  means  to  do  it  myself,"  continued  Lawry. 

"  You  shall  have  all  the  means  you  want,  my  boy,"  re 
plied  Mr.  Sherwood.  "  We  owe  you  a  debt  of  gratitude 
which  we  shall  never  be  able  to  pay,  and  if  you  want  any 
thing,  don't  fail  to  call  upon  me." 

"  If  you  need  any  help,  Lawry,  I'm  with  you,"  said 
Ethan  French. 

"  Thank  you ;  I  dare  say  I  shall  want  all  the  help  I  can 
get,"  answered  Lawry,  as  he  took  his  leave  of  the  family. 


38  Haste  and  Waste 

"  I'm  the  owner  of  a  steamboat !  "  thought  he.  "  I'm 
a  lucky  fellow,  and  I  shall  make  my  fortune  in  the  Wood- 
vttle.  I  can  take  out  parties,  or  I  can  run  her  on  a  day 
route  from  Burlington  up  the  lake;  and  there  is  towing 
enough  to  keep  me  busy  all  summer." 

Excited  by  the  brightest  visions  of  the  future,  he  came 
in  sight  of  his  father's  cottage.  It  looked  poorer  and 
meaner  than  it  had  ever  looked  before;  and  perhaps  he 
thought  it  was  hardly  a  fit  abode  for  a  steamboat  pro 
prietor.  When  he  saw  the  tall  mast  of  the  ferry-boat,  with 
the  sail  flapping  idly  in  the  wind,  he  was  reminded  of  the 
events  which  had  occurred  on  board  of  her  that  afternoon. 
It  was  mortifying  to  think  that  his  father  had  even  been 
tempted  to  steal;  but  he  was  rejoiced  to  know  that  he  had 
been  induced  to  return  the  six  thousand  dollars  to  the  owner. 

Lawry  had  not  seen  his  father  since  he  left  the  landing- 
place  to  board  the  Woodville.  He  was  not  at  the  house 
when  the  party  landed,  after  the  catastrophe,  and  Lawry 
was  glad  he  was  not  there,  for  his  absence  assured  the 
anxious  son  that  he  had  gone  in  search  of  Mr.  Randall. 
Amid  the  exciting  events  which  had  followed  the  painful 
discovery  that  his  father  intended  to  steal  the  six  thousand 
dollars,  the  young  pilot  had  not  thought  of  the  matter,  for 
his  mind  was  entirely  relieved  by  Mr.  Wilford's  promise  to 
give  up  the  money. 

Lawry  went  into  the  house;  his  father  had  not  yet  re 
turned,  and  his  mother  asked  him  a  hundred  questions 
about  the  steamboat  disaster,  as  she  set  the  table  for  supper. 
When  the  meal  was  ready,  Mrs.  Wilford  went  to  the  door 
and  blew  a  tin  horn,  which  was  intended  to  summon  the  fer 
ryman  to  his  tea. 

"  I  think  father  has  not  got  back  yet,"  said  Lawry. 

"  Where  has  he  gone  ?  " 

"  Up  to  the  village,  I  believe,"  replied  Lawry,  who  had 
determined  not  to  tell  his  mother  of  the  great  temptation 
to  which  his  father  had  almost  yielded. 

"  What  has  he  gone  up  there  for?  "  inquired  Mrs.  Wil- 


Haste  and  Waste  39 

ford,  who  perhaps  saw  in  the  anxious  looks  of  her  son  that 
something  had  been  concealed  from  her. 

"  He  had  a  little  business  up  there,"  answered  the  young 
pilot.  "  I  think  we  had  better  not  wait  for  him,  for  he  may 
not  be  back  for  some  time.  I  haven't  shown  you  this  paper, 
mother,"  he  continued,  wishing  to  draw  off  her  attention 
from  his  father,  as  he  handed  her  the  bill  of  sale  of  the 
Woodville,  and  seated  himself  at  the  table. 

"What  is  it,  Lawry?  " 

"  It  is  a  bill  of  sale  of  the  little  steamer." 

"  A  what?  "  demanded  Mrs.  Wilford,  as  she  paused  with 
the  teapot  suspended  over  a  cup. 

"  A  bill  of  sale  of  the  new  steamer." 

"  What,  the  one  that  was  sunk  ?  " 

"Yes;  Mr.  Sherwood  has  given  her  to  me,  just  as  she 
lies." 

"  Humph !  He  might  as  well  have  given  you  a  five-acre 
lot  at  the  bottom  of  the  lake.  What  in  the  world  can  you 
do  with  a  steamboat  smashed  to  pieces  and  sunk  ?  " 

"  I  can  raise  her." 

"  You  may  as  well  think  of  raising  the  Goblins  on  which 
she  sank." 

"  She  can  be  raised,  mother." 

"  Perhaps  she  can,  but  you  can't  raise  her." 

"  I  shall  try,  at  any  rate,"  replied  Lawry  confidently. 

The  conversation  was  interrupted  by  the  arrival  of  the 
ferryman.  The  son  cast  an  anxious  glance  at  his  father, 
as  the  latter  took  his  accustomed  place  at  the  table.  A 
forced  smile  played  about  the  lips  of  Mr.  Wilford;  but 
Lawry  interpreted  it  as  an  effort  to  overcome  the  sense  of 
humiliation  his  father  must  feel  at  having  his  dishonest  in 
tentions  discovered  by  his  son. 

"  Well,  Lawry,  I  found  him,"  said  Mr.  Wilford. 

"  Did  you  ?     I'm  very  glad  you  did,"  replied  the  son. 

"Who?"  asked  Mrs.  Wilford. 

"  The  bank  man — the  one  that  lost  the  money,"  replied 
the  ferryman. 


40  Haste  and  Waste 

"  What  did  you  want  of  him  ?  " 

"  We  found  his  money  after  he  had  gone." 

"  Did  you  ?  I'm  so  glad  1  And  neither  of  you  said  a 
word  to  me  about  it." 

"  I  gave  it  back  to  him,  and  it's  all  right  now." 

Unhappily,  it  was  not  all  right ;  and  the  ferryman  had 
scarcely  uttered  the  words  before  a  knock  was  heard  at  the 
door.  Without  awaiting  the  movements  of  Mrs.  Wilford, 
who  rose  from  the  table  to  open  the  door,  the  visitors  en 
tered.  Mr.  Wilford  turned  deadly  pale,  for  the  first  person 
that  passed  the  threshold  was  the  sheriff,  whose  face  was 
familiar  to  the  ferryman.  He  was  followed  by  Mr.  Randall 
and  a  constable. 

Lawry's  heart  sank  within  him  when  he  saw  who  the  visit 
ors  were.  He  feared  that  his  father,  in  spite  of  his  state 
ment  to  the  contrary,  had  been  led  to  appropriate  the  six 
thousand  dollars.  It  was  a  moment  of  agony  to  him,  and 
he  would  have  given  his  right,  title,  and  interest  in  the 
sunken  steamer  for  the  assurance  that  his  parent  was  an 
honest  man. 

"  I  come  on  rather  unpleasant  business,  Mr.  Wilford," 
the  sheriff  began ;  "  but  I  suppose  I  may  as  well  speak  out 
first  as  last." 

"  Goodness !  what  can  you  want  here ! "  exclaimed  Mrs. 
Wilford. 

"  Don't  be  alarmed,  Mrs.  Wilford,"  said  the  sheriff.  "  It 
may  be  all  right,  for  what  I  know.  Mr.  Randall,  here,  has 
lost  a  large  sum  of  money,  and  he  thinks  he  has  been  robbed. 
I'm  sure  I  hope  it's  all  right." 

"Why,  husband!"  ejaculated  Mrs.  Wilford;  "didn't 
you  just  say " 

"  I  didn't  say  anything,"  interposed  the  ferryman. 

Lawry  was  quite  as  pale  as  his  father.  He  would  rather 
have  been  accused  of  the  crime  himself  than  had  it  charged 
upon  his  father ;  he  would  rather  have  gone  to  prison  him 
self  than  had  him  dragged  away  on  such  an  infamous  ac 
cusation.  The  sheriff's  encouraging  words  that  it  might 


Haste  and  Waste  41 

be  all  right,  had  no  force  or  comfort  for  him.  Lawry  knew 
that  his  father  was  guilty,  and  he  was  in  despair. 

Mrs.  Wilford  had  only  heard  that  the  money  was  lost,  at 
first;  and  then,  from  her  husband,  that  it  had  been  found 
and  restored  to  the  owner.  It  was  plain  that  he  had  told 
her  a  falsehood ;  that  if  he  had  found  the  money,  it  was  still 
in  his  possession.  The  case  was  too  plain  to  need  much  re 
flection.  Mr.  Randall  and  the  sheriff  knew  less  than  the 
ferryman,  less  than  his  wife  and  his  son ;  but  in  the  good 
woman's  estimation,  it  was  far  worse  to  be  guilty  than  it 
was  to  be  detected. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  fathom  the  motives  which  induced 
John  Wilford  to  tell  his  wife  and  son  that  the  money  had 
been  restored  to  the  owner.  Perhaps  he  had  some  plan  by 
which  he  hoped  to  escape  detection  and  punishment  for  his 
crime;  or  it  may  be  that  he  told  the  falsehood  to  satisfy 
Lawry  for  the  present  moment.  His  calculations,  whatever 
they  may  have  been,  were  exceedingly  stupid  and  ill  di 
gested.  There  was  an  utter  want  of  skill  and  judgment  in 
his  operations.  He  was  not  a  strong-minded  man,  and  his 
guilt  seemed  to  have  paralyzed  his  weak  faculties.  His  fail 
ure  to  be  rich  in  the  path  of  dishonesty  was  even  more 
signal  than  his  honest  but  weak  efforts  in  a  legitimate  busi 
ness. 

"  What  did  he  just  say?  "  asked  the  sheriff,  whose  at 
tention  was  attracted  by  Mrs.  Wilford's  words,  but  more 
by  the  sharp  manner  of  her  husband  as  he  interrupted  her. 

"  What  is  your  business  with  me?  "  demanded  the  ferry 
man  of  the  sheriff,  earnestly. 

"  What  did  he  say  ?  "  repeated  the  sheriff. 

"  If  my  husband  has  been  doing  anything  wrong,  I'm 
sorry  for  it,"  replied  Mrs.  Wilford. 

"  Mr.  Randall  thinks  he  has  taken  his  money,"  added 
the  sheriff.  "  If  you  can  tell  me  what  your  husband  just 
said,  it  might  throw  some  light  on  the  matter." 

"  Oh,  husband ! "  cried  the  poor  wife,  throwing  herself 
into  a  chair  and  weeping  bitterly. 


42  Haste  and  Waste 

"  Mr.  Randall  knows  I  haven't  taken  his  money,"  pro 
tested  the  ferryman  stoutly. 

"  Don't  cry,  marm,"  said  the  sheriff,  moved  by  the  dis 
tress  of  the  afflicted  wife.  "  Nothing  has  been  proved  yet, 
and  for  all  I  know,  your  husband  may  be  as  honest  as  any 
man  in  Essex  County." 

"  I've  always  been  an  honest  man,  and  I  always  expect 
to  be,"  added  the  culprit.  "  I  haven't  got  the  money.  If 
any  of  you  think  I  have,  why  don't  you  do  something  about 
it — not  try  to  frighten  my  wife  ?  " 

Mr.  Wilford  was  searched  by  the  sheriff  and  constable, 
but  the  money  was  not  upon  his  person.  The  house  was 
then  carefully  examined,  but  with  no  different  result. 

"  Do  you  know  anything  about  this  business,  Lawry  ?  " 
said  the  sheriff,  when  the  search  was  completed. 

"  I  don't  think  he  had  anything  to  do  with  it,"  inter 
posed  Mr.  Randall.  "  The  boy  helped  me  look  for  the 
pocketbook,  and  behaved  very  handsomely ;  but  I  didn't  like 
the  looks  of  his  father." 

"  What  did  your  father  say  just  before  we  came?  "  asked 
the  sheriff. 

Lawry  was  stupefied  with  grief  and  shame.  He  knew 
not  what  to  say,  and  he  dropped  his  head  upon  the  table, 
and  sobbed  like  a  little  child. 

"  Things  look  bad,  Mr.  Wilford.  Your  wife  and  Lawry 
know  more  than  they  are  willing  to  tell,"  continued  the 
officer. 

"  You  have  scared  them  half  out  of  their  wits,"  replied 
the  ferryman,  trying  to  smile. 

"  It  isn't  likely  we  can  find  out  anything  here,"  said  the 
constable.  "  If  he  has  got  the  money,  he  has  hid  it  round 
the  house  somewhere." 

Adopting  this  suggestion,  the  officers,  followed  by  Mr. 
Randall,  left  the  cottage  to  examine  the  vicinity.  The  con 
stable  was  a  shrewd  man,  and  for  a  country  locality,  quite 
distinguished  as  a  thief-taker.  The  shower  early  in  the 
afternoon  had  left  the  ground  in  condition  to  receive  the 
tracks  of  every  individual  who  had  been  near  the  ferry. 


Haste  and  Waste  43 

The  sharp  officer  examined  all  the  marks  in  the  earth,  and 
finally  followed  the  footsteps  of  John  Wilford,  through  a 
corn-field,  above  the  cottage. 

Mrs.  Wilford  and  Lawry  wept  as  though  their  hearts 
would  break,  while  the  ferryman,  trembling  with  appre 
hension,  paced  the  kitchen. 

"  What  are  you  crying  for?  "  said  he  impatiently. 

"  Oh,  John !  "  sobbed  his  wife. 

"  Nothing  has  been  proved." 

"  Yes,  there  has.  You  told  me  you  had  given  the  money 
to  Mr.  Randall." 

"  You  told  me  you  would  restore  it  to  the  owner,  when  I 
gave  you  the  pocketbook,"  added  Lawry. 

"  Lawry,  if  you  say  a  word  about  it,  you  shall  go  to  jail 
with  me,"  said  Mr.  Wilford  angrily. 


CHAPTER    VII 

THE  FERRYMAN'S  CRIME 

MR.  WILFORD,  in  spite  of  his  faults  and  peculiarities, 
was  a  kind  father,  and  never  before  had  been  heard  to  utter 
such  terrible  words  as  those  which  had  just  passed  his  lips. 
It  was  a  consolation  to  Lawry  and  his  mother  to  believe  that 
the  words  were  only  a  threat  which  was  never  intended  to 
be  executed,  and  only  made  to  awe  the  youth  into  silence. 
It  was  needless;  for,  right  or  wrong,  the  son  would  have 
died  rather  than  betray  his  father. 

John  Wilford's  operations  in  hiding  the  money  were  as 
transparent  as  his  efforts  to  quiet  the  suspicions  of  his  fam 
ily.  The  constable  followed  his  tracks  in  the  soft  ground 
of  the  corn-field  till  he  came  to  a  stump  in  one  corner  of  the 
lot.  It  was  decayed  and  hollow,  and  in  one  of  the  cavities 
the  pocketbook  was  discovered.  Mr.  Randall  laughed  for 
joy  when  it  was  handed  up  to  him.  Its  contents  were  un 
disturbed,  and  not  a  dollar  of  the  money  was  missing.  The 
party  walked  back  to  the  house,  having  been  absent  less 


44  Haste  and  Waste 

than  half  an  hour.  The  ferryman  was  just  coming  out  as 
they  entered  the  gate. 

"  I  hope  you  are  satisfied,"  said  he,  confident  that  the 
officers  would  never  think  of  crossing  the  corn-field  in  search 
of  the  lost  treasure. 

"  I'm  satisfied,  Mr.  Wilford,"  said  the  sheriff. 

"  Don't  you  think  it  is  a  mean  thing  to  come  here  and 
accuse  me  of  robbing  one  of  my  passengers  ?  "  continued  the 
ferryman. 

"  I  don't  think  so." 

"  In  my  opinion,  Mr.  Randall  hasn't  lost  any  money.  I 
dom't  believe  a  man  would  throw  his  coat  down  anywhere  if 
there  was  six  thousand  dollars  in  the  pocket." 

"  But  the  money  was  lost,  whether  you  believe  it  or  not," 
interposed  the  bank  director,  irritated  by  this  charge. 

"  I've  heard  of  such  a  thing  as  men  losing  money  to  cheat 
their  creditors,  or  something  of  that  sort,"  added  the  ferry 
man. 

"  Don't  talk  so,  husband,"  said  Mrs.  Wilford,  who,  with 
Lawry,  had  come  out  of  the  house  when  they  heard  the 
voice  of  the  sheriff,  anxious  to  learn  the  result  of  the  search. 

"  Don't  you  think  that's  mean,  to  accuse  a  man  of  cheat 
ing  his  creditors,  after  you  have  stolen  his  money?"  re 
torted  Mr.  Randall. 

"  What  right  have  you  to  say  I  stole  your  money  ?  "  de 
manded  Mr.  Wilford,  with  a  show  of  intense  indignation. 

"  Because  you  did." 

"  Can  you  prove  it  ?  " 

"I 'think  lean." 

"  No,  you  can't.  I  don't  believe  you  lost  any  money. 
It's  only  a  trick  to  cheat  the  bank  or  your  creditors." 

"  We  shall  see." 

"  Don't  talk  so,  husband,"  repeated  Mrs.  Wilford. 

"  Keep  still,  wife.  When  a  man  hasn't  done  anything, 
it's  hard  to  be  charged  with  stealing  six  thousand  dollars. 
They  can't  prove  anything." 

"  Yes,  we  can,  Mr.  Wilford,"  interposed  the  sheriff.    "  It 


Haste  and  Waste  45 

becomes  my  duty  to  arrest  you,  though  I  would  rather  have 
done  it  when  your  family  were  not  present." 

"  Arrest  me !  What  for  ?  "  exclaimed  John  Wilford.. 
"  You  can't  prove  anything." 

"  Yes,  we  can,"  replied  the  sheriff. 

"  What  can  you  prove?  " 

"  I  think  it  would  be  better  for  you  not  to  talk  so  much," 
added  the  sheriff,  in  a  low  tone.  "  Come  with  me,  and  I  will 
do  my  duty  as  quietly  as  possible." 

"  Come  with  you!  What  for?  "  said  Mr.  Wilford,  in  a 
loud  tone.  "  I  didn't  steal  the  money." 

"  It's  a  plain  case.  It's  no  use  for  you  to  deny  it  any 
longer." 

"  But  I  didn't." 

"  We  have  found  the  money,  just  where  you  put  it." 

"  Found — what !  "  stammered  the  guilty  man. 

"  Oh,  husband !  "  groaned  Mrs.  Wilford. 

"  Oh,  father !  "  sobbed  Lawry. 

"  I'm  sorry,  Mrs.  Wilford,"  said  the  kind-hearted  officer; 
"  but  it's  all  as  plain  as  daylight.  He  took  the  money  and 
hid  it  in  a  stump  in  the  corn-field,  where  we  found  it." 

"  What  shall  we  do?  "  cried  Mrs.  Wilford. 

"  It's  a  bad  business,  marm,  but  I  can't  help  it.  I  must 
do  my  duty." 

Mr.  Wilford  leaned  on  the  garden-fence,  with  his  gaze 
fixed  upon  the  ground.  He  could  not  look  the  loved  ones 
in  the  face,  after  the  crime  he  had  committed.  The  smaller 
children,  who  had  been  at  play  around  the  house,  were  now 
gathered  about  the  group,  unable  fully  to  comprehend  the 
terrible  misfortune  which  had  befallen  them;  though,  as 
they  gazed  on  Lawry  and  their  mother,  they  could  not  help 
realizing  that  something  very  sad  had  happened. 

"  I'm  ready  to  go  with  you,"  said  John  Wilford  to  the 
sheriff,  for  the  scene  was  too  affecting  and  humiliating. 

"  Oh,  husband,  why  did  you  do  it?  "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Wil 
ford,  as  she  grasped  one  of  his  arms,  clinging  to  him  like  a 
true  woman,  in  spite  of  his  shame  and  infamy. 
J4 


46  Haste  and  Waste 

"  I  don't  know  why  I  did  it.  I  was  crazy.  I  wanted  to 
be  rich,"  replied  the  unhappy  man. 

"  I  wish  you  had  given  back  the  money >  as  you  said  you 
did." 

"  I  wish  I  had  now." 

"  Can  nothing  be  done  ?  "  continued  Mrs.  Wilf ord,  ap 
pealing  to  the  sheriff.  "  Must  he  go  with  you  ?  " 

"  He  must ;  my  duty  is  as  plain  as  it  can  be." 

The  poor  woman  suggested  various  expedients  to  avoid 
the  fearful  consequences ;  she  appealed  to  the  bank  director, 
and  begged  him  not  to  prosecute  her  husband.  Mr.  Ran 
dall,  though  he  had  been  greatly  irritated  by  the  cruel  in 
sinuations  of  the  culprit,  was  not  a  malignant  man;  and 
he  was  disposed  to  grant  the  petition  of  the  disconsolate 
wife.  He  had  recovered  his  money,  and  had  no  malice 
against  the  ferryman.  But  the  sheriff  declared  that  no  such 
arrangement  could  be  tolerated.  The  matter  had  been 
placed  in  his  hands,  and,  as  a  sworn  officer  of  the  law,  he 
should  be  obliged  to  arrest  the  offender. 

In  vain  Mrs.  Wilford  pleaded  for  her  husband ;  in  vain 
Lawry  pleaded  for  his  father ;  the  sheriff,  kind  and  consid 
erate  as  he  had  shown  himself  to  be,  was  inexorable  in  the 
discharge  of  his  duty.  There  was  no  alternative ;  and  John 
Wilford  must  go  to  jail.  The  poor  wife,  when  she  found 
that  her  tears  and  her  pleadings  were  unavailing,  submitted 
to  the  stern  necessity.  She  insisted  that  her  husband  should 
be  allowed  to  change  his  dress,  which  the  sheriff  readily 
granted;  and  in  a  short  time  the  culprit  appeared  in  his 
best  clothes.  It  was  a  sad  parting  between  him  and  his 
family,  and  even  the  ferryman  wept  as  he  passed  out  from 
beneath  his  humble  roof,  not  again  to  come  beneath  its 
friendly  shelter  for  many,  many  weary  months. 

Mrs.  Wilford  and  Lawry  were  stunned  by  the  heavy 
blow.  The  light  of  earthly  joys  seemed  suddenly  to  have 
gone  out,  and  left  them  in  the  gloom  and  woe  of  disgrace. 
There  was  nothing  to  be  said  at  such  a  time,  and  they 
sobbed  in  silence,  until  the  sound  of  the  ferry-horn  roused 
L.awry  from  his  lethargy  of  grief  Some  one  wished  to  cross 


Haste  and  Waste  47 

the  lake,  and  had  given  the  usual  signal  with  the  tin  horn, 
placed  on  a  post  for  the  purpose,  at  the  side  of  the  road. 

"  There  is  no  ferryman  here  now,"  said  Mrs.  Wilford 
gloomily. 

"  I  will  go,  mother,"  replied  Lawry. 

"  It  may  be  many  a  day  before  your  father  comes  back," 
added  Mrs.  Wilford,  as  she  wiped  away  her  tears.  "  It  is 
a  great  deal  worse  than  a  funeral." 

"  We  can't  help  it,  mother,  and  I  suppose  we  must  make 
the  best  of  it." 

"  I  suppose  we  must ;  but  I  don't  know  what  we  are  going 
to  do." 

"  We  shall  do  well  enough,  mother.  I  will  attend  to  the 
ferry  ;  but  poor  father " 

Lawry,  finding  he  could  not  speak  without  a  fresh  flow 
of  tears,  hastened  out  of  the  house.  There  were  two  wagons 
waiting  for  him ;  and  when  they  were  embarked  in  the  boat, 
he  pushed  off,  and  trimmed  the  sail  for  the  gentle  breeze 
that  was  blowing  up  the  lake.  The  passengers  asked  for 
his  father ;  but  Lawry  could  only  tell  them  that  he  had  gone 
away :  the  truth  was  too  painful  for  him  to  reveal.  He  re 
turned  to  his  desolate  home  when  he  had  ferried  the  wagons 
over  the  lake.  There  was  nothing  but  misery  in  that  hum 
ble  abode,  and  but  little  sleep  for  those  who  were  old  enough 
to  comprehend  the  sadness  and  shame  of  their  situation. 

Before  morning  the  news  of  John  Wilford's  crime  had 
been  circulated  through  the  village  of  Port  Rock  and  its 
vicinity.  Some  knew  that  the  ferryman  was  lazy  and  thrift 
less,  and  wondered  he  had  not  robbed  somebody  before. 
Others  had  always  regarded  him  as  a  person  of  no  sagacity 
or  forethought,  but  did  not  think  he  would  steal.  Many 
pitied  his  family,  and  some  said  that  Lawry  was  "  as  smart 
as  two  of  his  father,"  and  that  his  mother  and  the  children 
would  be  well  provided  for. 

The  intelligence  went  to  the  mansion  of  Mr.  Sherwood, 
and  there  it  touched  the  hearts  of  true  friends.  Though 
none  of  them  knew  much  about  the  ferryman  and  his  family, 
yet  for  Lawry's  sake  they  were  deeply  interested  in  them. 


48  Haste  and  Waste 

After  breakfast  Mr.  Sherwood  went  down  to  the  ferry- 
house  ;  and  the  young  pilot,  with  many  tears  and  sobs,  told 
him  the  whole  of  the  sad  story  of  his  father's  crime.  The 
rich  man  was  full  of  sympathy,  but  nothing  could  be  done. 
He  volunteered  to  be  the  culprit's  bail,  and  to  provide  him 
with  the  best  counsel  in  the  State.  But  John  Wilford  was 
guilty,  and  nothing  could  wipe  out  this  terrible  truth. 

Mr.  Sherwood  did  all  he  had  promised  to  do;  but  the 
ferryman,  after  he  had  been  examined  and  fully  committed 
for  trial,  declined  to  furnish  bail,  declaring  that  he  did  not 
wish  to  be  seen  at  Port  Rock  again.  At  the  next  session  of 
the  court,  two  months  after  his  committal,  he  pleaded  guilty 
of  the  robbery  and  was  sentenced  to  three  years'  impris 
onment  in  the  penitentiary  at  Sing  Sing. 

After  the  sentence  the  prisoner  was  permitted  to  see  his 
family  for  the  last  time  for  many  months.  It  was  a  sad  and 
touching  interview ;  but  from  it  Lawry  and  his  mother  de 
rived  much  consolation.  John  Wilford  was  penitent;  he 
was  truly  sorry  for  what  he  had  done,  and  declared  that, 
when  he  had  served  out  his  time,  he  would  be  a  better  man 
than  he  had  ever  been  before.  It  was  comforting  to  the 
mother  and  son  to  know  that  the  wanderer  was  not  hardened 
and  debased  by  his  crime  and  the  exposure;  and  they  re 
turned  to  their  home  submissive  to  their  lot,  sad  and  dreary 
as  it  was. 

From  the  day  his  father  had  been  arrested,  Lawry  felt 
that  the  care  of  the  family  devolved  upon  him.  His  older 
brother  was  away  from  home,  and  was  indolent  and  dis 
sipated.  The  ferry  and  the  little  farm  must  be  cared  for, 
as  from  them  came  the  entire  support  of  his  mother  and  his 
brothers  and  sisters.  Though  he  was  oppressed  by  the  bur 
den  of  sorrow  which  his  father's  crime  cast  upon  him,  he 
did  not  yield  to  despair. 

Half  a  mile  below  the  ferry-landing  he  could  see  the 
smokestack  of  the  Woodville  projecting  above  the  water. 
She  was  his  property ;  and  if  she  had  seemed  to  be  a  prize 
to  him  before  the  calamity  had  fallen  upon  his  father's 
household,  she  was  doubly  so  now.  As  he  crossed  the  ferry, 


Haste  and  Waste  49 

he  gazed  up  at  the  Goblins,  with  less  of  exultation,  but 
more  of  hope,  than  before.  In  his  opinion,  as  he  expressed 
it  to  his  mother,  there  was  "  money  in  her."  Mrs.  Wilford 
was  in  great  tribulation  lest  the  man  who  now  held  the 
mortgage  upon  the  little  farm  should  insist  upon  being 
paid,  as  there  was  now  no  hope  that  the  debtor,  in  prison, 
would  be  able  to  do  anything.  Lawry  told  her  that  the 
steamboat  would  enable  them  to  pay  all  claims  upon  his 
father. 

Mrs.  Wilford  had  but  little  confidence  in  her  son's 
schemes,  but  she  did  not  discourage  them;  and  Lawry 
racked  his  brain  for  expedients  to  accomplish  the  task  he 
had  imposed  upon  himself.  He  had  no  money,  and  he  was 
too  proud  to  ask  Mr.  Sherwood  for  the  assistance  which  that 
gentleman  would  so  gladly  have  rendered.  Ethan  French 
came  down  to  see  him  every  day,  and  the  prairie  boy  was 
so  kind  and  considerate  that  they  soon  became  fast  friends. 

"  When  are  you  going  to  work  on  the  steamer,  Lawry?  " 
asked  Ethan.  "  I  suppose  you  don't  feel  much  like  med 
dling  with  her  yet." 

"  I  don't ;  but  she  ought  to  be  raised  as  soon  as  possible," 
replied  Lawry.  "  I  am  going  to  work  upon  her  right  off. 
I  went  down  to  see  how  she  lies  this  morning,  and  I  have  got 
my  plans  all  laid." 

"  Have  you?  " 

"  I  have." 

"  Do  you  think  you  can  get  her  up  ?  " 

"  I  know  I  can." 

"  Well,  how  are  you  going  to  do  it  ?  "  inquired  Ethan. 

"  Do  you  know  Mr.  Nelson,  over  at  Pointville?  I  sup 
pose  you  dcn't.  Well,  he  is  a  great  oil  man ;  he  has  got 
some  oil-wells  down  on  the  St.  Johns  River.  He  is  getting 
together  all  the  barrels  and  hogsheads  he  can  find,  to  send 
down  to  his  works.  He  has  as  many  as  a  hundred  at  his 
place  in  Pointville.  I'm  going  to  borrow  a  lot  of  these 
casks,  if  I  can,  and  raise  the  Woodville  with  them." 

"  How  are  you  going  to  manage  with  them?  "  asked 
Ethan,  deeply  interested  in  the  plan. 


50  Haste  and  Waste 

"  Sink  them  round  the  boat,  and  fasten  them  to  her  hull, 
till  there  is  enough  to  float  her." 

"  But  how  are  you  going  to  sink  them  ?  " 

"  There's  some  one  to  go  over  the  ferry,"  replied  Lawry, 
as  a  blast  of  the  tin  horn  was  heard.  "  If  you  will  go  over 
with  me,  I  will  tell  you  all  about  it,  and  we  will  call  and  see 
Mr.  Nelson  while  we  are  at  Pointville." 

Ethan  embarked  with  his  friend,  and  when  the  boat 
started  the  subject  was  resumed. 


CHAPTER    VIII 

RAISING    THE    "  WOODVIIXE  " 

ETHAN  FRENCH,  during  the  two  years  he  had  been  a 
resident  of  the  State  of  New  York,  had  been  an  earnest  and 
diligent  student.  His  mind  was  even  more  improved  than 
his  manners.  His  taste  for  mechanics  had  prompted  him 
to  study  the  various  subjects  included  in  this  science,  and 
as  he  stood  by  his  companion,  the  pilot,  he  talked  quite 
learnedly  about  the  specific  gravity  of  wood  and  iron,  about 
displacement,  buoyancy,  and  similar  topics. 

"  The  hull  of  the  steamer — that  is,  the  woodwork — will 
not  float  itself,  but  it  will  sustain  considerable  additional 
weight,"  said  he. 

"  Yes,  I  understand  all  that,"  replied  Lawry.  "  If  there 
had  been  no  iron  in  the  Woodville  she  would  not  have  gone 
down." 

"  The  iron  in  her  engines  is  seven  or  eight  times  as  heavy 
as  the  same  bulk  of  water.  Its  weight  carried  the  hull  down 
with  it." 

"  Then  we  must  put  down  empty  casks  enough  to  float 
the  engine,"  added  Lawry. 

"  No ;  the  woodwork  of  the  hull  will  hold  up  a  portion 
of  the  weight  of  the  engine,  and  we  must  furnish  buoyancy 
enough  to  sustain  the  rest  of  it." 

"  It  will  not  take  a  great  many  casks,  then — will  it  ?  " 


Haste  and  Waste  51 

"  Not  a  great  many ;  but  the  difficulty  is  to  get  them 
down  to  the  bottom,  and  fasten  them  to  the  hull." 

"  I  can  do  that,"  replied  Lawry  confidently. 

Ethan  approved  the  method,  and  promised  to  ascertain 
what  weight  each  of  the  casks  would  sustain  in  the  water, 
when  he  had  obtained  their  dimensions.  The  ferry-boat 
reached  the  other  side  of  the  lake,  and  the  young  men  went 
to  see  Mr.  Nelson,  the  owner  of  the  casks.  He  did  not  wish 
to  use  the  hogsheads  till  October,  and  was  willing  they 
should  be  employed  for  the  purpose  indicated,  if  Lawry 
would  give  him  security  for  their  safe  return. 

"Mr.  Sherwood  will  do  that  for  you, Lawry," said  Ethan. 

"  That's  a  good  name,"  added  the  oil  speculator.  "  If 
he  will  guarantee  the  safe  return  of  the  casks,  that  is  all  I 
ask.  I  wonder  if  Mr.  Sherwood  don't  want  some  shares  in 
the  Meteor  Oil  Company." 

"  I  don't  know ;  I'll  ask  him,"  replied  Ethan. 

"  If  you  will,  I  won't  charge  you  anything  for  the  use  of 
the  casks,"  added  Mr.  Nelson. 

Mr.  Sherwood  was  consulted  in  the  evening.  He  was 
very  willing  to  furnish  the  required  security  for  the  use  of 
the  oil-casks,  but  he  did  not  seem  to  have  the  same  confidence 
in  the  "  Meteor  "  which  Mr.  Nelson  exhibited,  though  he 
promised  to  consider  the  matter. 

It  required  three  days  to  complete  the  preparations  for 
raising  the  Woodville.  All  the  ropes  and  rigging  in  the 
neighborhood,  including  many  hay-ropes  and  clothes-lines, 
had  been  collected ;  the  oil-casks  had  been  conveyed  over  the 
lake  in  the  ferry-boat,  and  secured  within  a  "  boom  "  com 
posed  of  four  long  timbers,  lashed  together  at  the  ends, 
forming  a  square,  which  was  moored  close  to  the  Goblins; 
and  a  raft  had  been  built,  upon  which  the  operations  were 
to  be  conducted. 

Mr.  Sherwood  had  offered  to  furnish  as  many  men  as 
could  be  employed  to  assist  in  the  work ;  but  the  young  en 
gineers  had  so  arranged  their  plans  that  no  help  was  needed. 
At  sunrise  in  the  morning  the  boys  ran  down  to  the  Goblins 
in  the  ferry-boat,  which  was  necessary  for  the  transport*- 


52  Haste  and  Waste 

tion  of  sundry  heavy  articles.  The  raft  was  already  there, 
moored  in  the  proper  place  for  commencing  the  labors  of  the 
day.  The  engineers  were  deeply  interested  in  the  opera 
tions  before  them,  for  there  was  a  difficult  problem  to  be 
solved,  which  required  all  their  skill  and  ingenuity;  and 
Lawry  felt  that  his  future  prosperity  and  happiness  de 
pended  upon  the  success  of  the  undertaking. 

Their  plans  and  their  machinery  were  yet  to  be  tried, 
and  there  was  a  degree  of  excitement  attending  the  execu 
tion  of  the  project  which  was  as  agreeable  as  it  was  stimu 
lating  to  their  enthusiastic  natures.  People  had  laughed 
at  the  idea  of  two  boys  raising  a  steamer  burdened  with 
heavy  machinery,  and  both  of  them  felt  that  their  reputa 
tions  were  at  stake. 

"  Now,  Lawry,  we  shall  soon  find  out  what  we  can  do," 
said  Ethan,  as  they  made  fast  the  ferry-boat  to  the  raft. 

"  I  know  what  we  can  do,"  replied  the  young  pilot  con- 
fidently.  "  If  the  casks  will  float  her,  she  shall  come  to  the 
top  of  the  water  before  to-morrow  night.  Now,  Ethan,  the 
first  thing  is  to  get  a  rope  under  her." 

"  That's  easy  enough." 

"  It's  all  easy  enough,  if  you  only  believe  in  yourself." 

A  rope  of  six  fathoms  in  length  was  selected  from  the 
mass  of  rigging  on  the  raft,  and  a  stone  just  heavy  enough 
to  sink  the  line  attached  to  the  middle  of  it.  Lawry  took  it 
in  the  wherry,  sculled  to  the  stern  of  the  sunken  steamer, 
and  dropped  it  into  the  water.  He  then  carried  one  end  to 
Ethan,  on  the  raft,  while  he  returned  with  the  other  in  his 
boat,  which  he  moored  to  the  opposite  side  of  the  Woodville. 
The  middle  of  the  rope  was  kept  on  the  bottom  of  the  lake 
by  the  stone,  while  the  two  ends  were  carried  forward  by 
the  boys  until  the  bight  was  drawn  under  the  keel  of  the 
steamer,  as  far  as  her  position  on  the  rocks  would  permit  it 
to  go.  Lawry's  end  was  made  fast  around  the  smokestack, 
and  Ethan's  to  the  raft. 

One  of  the  hogsheads  was  next  floated  out  of  the  boom 
enclosure,  and  hauled  upon  the  raft.  Lawry  adjusted  the 
hogshead  slings  to  the  cask.  In  the  middle  of  the  raft  an 


Haste  and  Waste  53 

aperture  had  been  left,  large  enough  for  a  hogshead  to 
pass  through,  over  which  a  small  derrick  had  been  built.  A 
stone  post,  about  the  length  of  the  casks,  and  just  heavy 
enough  to  sink  one  of  them,  had  been  brought  down  on  the 
bateau.  This  "  sinker,"  as  the  young  engineers  called  it, 
had  been  weighed,  and  it  exactly  conformed  to  the  require 
ment  of  Ethan's  figures;  it  was  just  sufficient  to  overcome 
the  flotage  power  of  the  cask. 

"  Now,  keep  cool,  Ethan,  and  we  shall  find  out  whether 
your  figures  are  correct,  or  not,"  said  Lawry. 

"  Figures  won't  lie,"  replied  Ethan ;  "  I  know  they  are 
correct,  and  that  hogshead  will  go  to  the  bottom  as  quick 
as  though  it  were  made  of  lead." 

"  We  shall  soon  see,"  added  Lawry,  as  he  placed  a  couple 
of  skids  across  the  "  well."  "  Now  we  must  place  the 
sinker  on  those  skids." 

By  the  aid  of  the  derrick,  which  was  provided  with  a  rude 
windlass,  constructed  by  Ethan,  the  stone  post  was  hoisted 
up,  and  then  dropped  down  on  the  skids.  The  sinker  had 
been  rigged  with  slings,  and  the  hogshead  was  attached  to 
it  by  a  contrivance  of  Lawry,  upon  which  the  success  of  the 
operation  wholly  depended,  and  which  it  will  be  very  diffi 
cult  to  describe  with  words.  The  sinker  would  carry  the 
cask  to  the  bottom  of  the  lake,  where  its  buoyancy  was  to 
assist  in  bringing  the  steamer  to  the  surface  of  the  water ; 
but  it  was  necessary,  after  the  cask  had  been  sunk  and 
fastened  to  the  hull,  to  detach  it  from  the  sinker ;  and  this 
had  been  a  problem  of  no  little  difficulty  to  Lawry,  who 
managed  the  nautical  part  of  the  enterprise. 

Fastened  to  the  slings  on  the  sinker  was  a  rope  ten  fath 
oms  in  length.  A  loop  was  formed  in  this  line,  close  to  the 
sinker,  and  the  bight  passed  through  the  slings  on  the  hogs 
head.  The  loop  was  then  laid  over  the  two  ropes,  one  of 
which  was  fast  to  the  sinker,  and  the  other  was  the  unat 
tached  end  of  the  line,  and  "  toggled  "  on  with  a  marline- 
spike.  If  the  young  reader  does  not  quite  understand  the 
process,  let  him  take  a  string,  with  one  end  fastened  to  a 
flatiron;  double  it,  and  pass  the  loop — which  sailors  call  a 


54  Haste  and  Waste 

bight — upward  between  the  thumb  and  forefinger;  bring 
the  loop  down  to  meet  the  two  parts  of  the  string  on  the 
palm  of  the  hand ;  then  take  the  two  lines  into  the  loop,  and 
put  a  pencil  under  the  two  parts  drawn  through  the  loop. 
The  flatiron  will  correspond  to  the  stone  sinker,  and  the 
thumb  to  the  slings  on  the  hogshead.  Lift  up  the  flatiron, 
so  that  the  weight  will  bear  on  the  thumb ;  then  pull  out  the 
pencil,  and  the  iron  will  drop. 

The  marlinespike  was  thoroughly  greased,  and  a  small 
line  attached  to  the  head  of  it,  so  that  it  could  be  easily 
drawn  out  of  the  loop,  when  the  cask  had  been  secured  to 
the  hull  of  the  steamer. 

"  There,  we  are  all  right  now,"  said  Lawry,  after  he  had 
tried  the  marlinespike  several  times  to  satisfy  himself  that 
it  could  be  easily  drawn  from  its  place.  "  Now  we  will  make 
fast  the  rope  which  runs  under  the  keel  to  the  hogshead." 

"  Here  it  is,"  added  Ethan. 

"  We  want  to  have  the  cask  under  the  guard  of  the 
steamer  when  we  get  it  down." 

"  That  will  be  easy  enough." 

"  Perhaps  it  will ;  but  I'm  afraid  the  rope  will  bind  on  the 
keel." 

"  If  it  does,  we  must  take  the  raft  round  to  the  other  side 
of  the  Woodville,  and  pass  it  round  the  windlass;  we  can 
haul  it  up  in  that  way." 

"  That  will  take  too  much  time.  I  think  you  and  I  both 
will  be  strong  enough  to  haul  the  cask  into  place." 

"  Now,  give  us  a  turn  at  the  windlass,  Ethan,"  said 
Lawry,  when  he  was  ready. 

"  Aye,  aye,"  replied  Ethan,  as  he  turned  the  crank,  and 
raised  the  sinker  and  the  cask,  so  that  the  skids  which  sup 
ported  them  could  be  removed. 

"  Lower  away !  "  added  Lawry,  highly  excited ;  and  the 
sinker  began  to  descend  into  the  water,  carrying  with  it  the 
hogshead.  "  That  works  first-rate.  Now  hold  on  till  I  get 
hold  of  the  other  end  of  the  guide-rope." 

Lawry  jumped  into  the  wherry,  and  sculled  round  to  the 
other  side  of  the  sunken  steamer,  where  he  detached  the  end 


Haste  and  Waste  55 

of  the  line  passing  under  the  keel  from  the  smoke-stack, 
•where  it  had  been  secured.  He  hauled  on  the  rope  till  he 
got  it  clear  of  the  stone  with  which  it  had  been  sunk. 

"  Lower  away !  "  shouted  Lawry. 

"  Lower,  it  is,"  answered  Ethan. 

"  Slowly,"  added  the  pilot,  as  he  hauled  in  the  rope. 

"  It  is  going  to  the  right  place.  I  can  see  it  in  the 
water." 

"  Hold  on !  "  cried  Lawry ;  and  the  wherry  was  so  un 
steady  beneath  him  that  it  was  with  great  difficulty  he 
"  kept  what  he  had  got  "  on  the  rope. 

In  order  to  overcome  this  disadvantage  he  passed  the 
rope  around  the  smokestack. 

"  I  have  it  now !  "  shouted  he.  "  This  gives  me  a  splen 
did  purchase ;  "  and  he  hauled  in  the  rope,  bringing  the 
hogshead  chock  up  to  the  hull  of  the  sunken  craft. 

"  We  are  growing  wiser  every  moment,"  laughed  Ethan. 

"  So  we  are.  Lower  away,  slowly.  That's  it,"  said 
Lawry.  "  Lower  away." 

"  The  sinker  is  on  the  bottom,"  replied  Ethan. 

"  All  right;  can  you  see  the  hogshead?  " 

"  Yes ;  yon  have  hauled  it  completely  under  the  guard. 
The  water  is  as  clear  as  crystal,"  answered  Ethan. 

"  Hold  on  a  moment  till  I  make  fast  this  line ! " 

Thus  far  the  experiment  had  been  entirely  successful, 
and  Lawry's  bosom  bounded  with  emotion.  The  plan  for 
raising  the  Woodville  was  his  own,  though  he  had  been 
greatly  assisted  by  Ethan,  who  had  designed  and  con 
structed  the  derrick  and  windlass,  thus  diminishing  the 
labor  of  the  enterprise.  The  young  pilot  felt  like  a  con 
queror  when  he  had  placed  the  first  cask  in  position. 

Sculling  the  wherry  back  to  the  raft,  he  pulled  the  string 
attached  to  the  toggle,  and  drew  it  out  of  the  noose. 

"  Hoist  away,"  said  he. 

"  Hoist,  it  is,"  replied  Ethan,  as  he  took  hold  with  him. 

"  All  right !  "  shouted  the  young  nautical  engineer.  "  I 
feel  like  giving  three  cheers,"  he  added. 


56  Haste  and  Waste 

"  So  do  I ;  and  we'll  do  it,  when  we  get  the  sinker  on  the 
raft." 

The  stone  post  came  up  "  in  good  order  and  condition," 
and  the  skids  were  placed  under  it,  to  keep  it  in  position  for 
the  sinking  of  the  second  hogshead.  The  three  cheers  were 
given  with  a  will,  and  they  came  from  the  hearts  of  the  boys. 
They  had  labored  patiently  for  three  days  in  gathering  the 
material  and  constructing  the  machinery  for  the  raising 
of  the  steamer,  and  their  first  success  was  a  real  joy. 

**  Breakfast-time,"  said  Lawry,  as  the  horn  sounded 
from  the  ferry-house. 

**  I  don't  want  any  breakfast,"  answered  Ethan.  "  I 
don't  feel  as  though  we  could  spare  the  time  for  eating." 

"  Haste  and  waste,"  added  Lawry,  laughing.  "  We  have 
got  a  great  deal  of  hard  work  to  do,  and  we  must  keep  our 
strength.  For  my  part,  I'm  hungry." 

"  I'm  not;  and  I'm  so  interested  in  this  job  that  I  don't 
like  to  leave.  We  ought  to  have  brought  our  breakfast 
down  with  us." 

**  I  don't  think  we  shall  make  anything  by  driving  the 
work  too  hard.  We  must  keep  cool,  and  do  it  well.  Be 
sides,  I'm  liable  to  be  called  off  a  dozen  times  a  day." 

"  What  for?  " 

"  To  take  people  over  the  ferry." 

**  Oh,  bother !  "  exclaimed  Ethan  impatiently.  "  Have 
we  got  to  leave  the  work  to  paddle  everybody  that  comes 
along  over  the  lake?  " 

**  We  have,"  said  Lawry.  "  I  must  look  out  for  the  fam 
ily  now." 

There  was  a  good  wind,  and  the  boys  returned  to  the 
ferry-house  in  the  bateau.  Before  they  had  finished  their 
breakfast,  the  ferry-horn  sounded,  and  Lawry  was  obliged 
to  take  a  team  over  to  Pointville  before  the  work  could  be 
resumed.  Ethan  was  rather  impatient  under  this  delay; 
but  he  was  too  kind-hearted  to  make  any  unpleasant  remark 
which  would  remind  his  friend  of  his  father's  crime. 


Haste  and  Waste  57 


CHAPTER    IX 

BEX  WTLFORD'S 


WHILE  Lawry  was  ferrying  the  team  over  the  lake, 
Ethan  occupied  himself  in  making  a  long-handled  boat- 
hook,  which  might  be  useful  in  the  operation  of  raising  the 
steamer.  While  he  was  thus  engaged,  a  young  man,  about 
eighteen  years  of  age,  coarsely  dressed,  and  with  a  very  red 
face,  came  down  the  road  and  stopped  at  the  place  where 
he  was  at  work. 

"  What  you  making?  "  asked  the  young  man. 

"  A  boat-hook,"  replied  Ethan. 

"  Do  you  belong  here?  "  continued  the  stranger  nodding 
his  head  toward  the  ferry-house. 

"  No  ;  I'm  only  helping  Lawry  Wilford  for  a  few  days." 

"  The  old  man's  got  into  hot  water,  they  say." 

"  Yes." 

**  Well,  he  was  always  preaching  to  me  about  doing  the 
right  thing;  and  now  he's  fallen  off  the  horse-block  him 
self,"  added  the  young  man,  with  a  slight  chuckle. 

"  It's  bad  for  Mr.  Wilford  and  his  family." 

"  That's  so.     Where's  Lawry  now?  " 

"  He  has  gone  over  with  the  ferry-boat." 

"  I  reckon  Lawry  has  to  run  the  machine  now." 

*'  He  has  to  run  the  ferry-boat." 

"  Well,  he  knows  how.  Lawry's  smart  —  he  is.  I  suppose 
you  don't  know  me." 

"  I  do  not." 

"  I'm  Lawry's  brother  ;  and  that  makes  it  that  Lawry  is 
my  brother." 

"  Then  you  are  Benjamin  Wilford?  " 

"  That's  my  name  ;  but  Ben  Wilford  sounds  a  good  deal 
more  natural  to  me.  I  heard  the  old  man  had  got  into 
trouble,  and  I  came  up  to  see  about  it,  though  I'm  out  of  a 
job  just  now,  and  couldn't  do  anything  better.  I  hear  that 
Lawry  owns  a  steamboat,  and  I  didn't  know  but  he'd  want 
some  help.  Where  is  she?  " 


58  Haste  and  Waste 

"  She's  on  the  bottom,  out  there  by  the  Goblins,"  an 
swered  Ethan,  pointing  to  the  raft.  "  We  are  at  work 
raising  her." 

"  Can  you  get  her  up,  do  you  think  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  I  have  no  doubt  we  shall  have  her  at  the  top  of 
the  water  by  to-morrow  night." 

"  I've  come  just  in  time,  then,"  added  the  young  man. 
"  I  think  I  know  something  about  a  steamboat." 

Ethan  did  not  like  the  looks  of  Lawry's  brother.  His 
bloated  face  was  against  him,  and  the  young  engineer,  with 
out  knowing  anything  more  about  him  than  his  swaggering 
manner  and  red  face  revealed,  wished  he  had  stayed  away 
a  few  days  longer. 

"  I'll  go  in  and  see  the  old  woman,  and  get  some  break 
fast  ;  then  I'll  go  up  with  you  and  see  what  you  are  doing," 
said  Ben  Wilford. 

"  We  are  going  up  as  soon  as  Lawry  comes  back,"  an 
swered  Ethan,  pointing  to  the  ferry-boat. 

The  dissolute  young  man,  who  had  just  been  discharged 
from  his  situation  as  a  deck-hand  on  one  of  the  steamers, 
for  intemperance  and  neglect  of  duty,  sauntered  into  the 
house;  and  the  fresh  breeze  soon  brought  the  impatient 
Lawry  to  the  shore. 

"  Lawry,  we  have  got  some  help,"  said  Ethan. 

"Who?" 

"  Your  brother  has  just  come." 

"Ben?"  asked  the  young  lad,  a  troubled  expression 
gathering  on  his  face. 

"  Yes ;  he  has  gone  into  the  house  to  get  his  breakfast." 

"  I'll  go  in  and  see  him,"  added  Lawry,  who  did  not  seem 
to  be  at  all  pleased  with  the  news  of  his  brother's  arrival. 

It  is  a  sad  thing  for  a  brother  to  behave  so  badly  that 
he  cannot  be  welcome  at  his  own  home. 

Mrs.  Wilford  shook  hands  with  Benjamin  as  he  entered. 
She  was  glad  to  see  him,  and  her  mother's  heart  went  out 
toward  him ;  but  she  was  filled  with  doubts  and  fears.  The 
young  man  only  laughed  while  his  mother  wept  at  the  story 


Haste  and  Waste  59 

of  the  father's  crime.  He  sat  down  to  his  breakfast,  and 
declared  that  he  had  come  home  to  take  care  of  the  family. 

"  I  hope  you  are  able  to  take  care  of  yourself,  Benjamin," 
replied  his  mother,  as  she  glanced  at  his  bloated  face. 

"  I  always  did  that,  mother.  The  old  man  and  I  couldn't 
agree  very  well,  but  I  reckon  you  and  I  can  get  along  to 
gether.  Lawry,  how  are  you?  "  continued  the  returned 
wanderer,  as  his  brother  entered  the  room. 

"  Very  well;  how  are  you,  Ben?  "  answered  Lawry,  as  he 
shook  hands  with  his  brother.  •  • 

"  First-rate.    How  about  the  steamboat,  Lawry  ?  " 

"  She's  all  right ;  or,  she  will  be,  when  we  get  her  up." 

"  Do  you  think  you  can  raise  her  ?  " 

"  I  know  we  can." 

"  Well,  I  heard  all  about  her  up  in  the  village,  and  I 
have  come  home  to  help  you.  I  know  all  about  steamboats, 
you  know." 

"  What  did  you  leave  your  place  for  ?  " 

"  The  captain  and  I  couldn't  agree.  I'm  going  to  run 
an  opposition  line." 

"  Are  you  ?  " 

"  I  am ;  bet  your  life  I  am." 

"  Where  will  you  get  your  boats  ?  " 

"  Don't  want  but  one ;  and  they  say  your  boat  is  the  fin 
est  little  craft  that  ever  floated  on  the  lake." 

"  She  is,  without  a  doubt." 

"  Well,  we  can  take  some  money  out  of  the  captain's 
pocket,  at  any  rate.  We'll  make  a  fortune  out  of  your  boat, 
Lawry,  if  we  get  her  up." 

"  I  shall  get  her  up  by  to-morrow  night." 

"  I'll  help  you,  Lawry." 

"  We  don't  need  any  help  at  present.  I  must  go  now, 
for  Ethan  is  waiting  for  me.'* 

"Who's  Ethan?" 

"  Ethan  French ;  he  is  the  engineer  of  the  steamer,"  an 
swered  the  young  pilot,  moving  toward  the  door. 

"  Hold  on  a  minute,  Lawry,  and  I'll  be  ready  to  go  with 
you.  I  can  show  you  how  to  do  the  business." 


60  Haste  and  Waste 

"  I  know  now." 

"  You're  smart,  Lawry ;  but  you're  not  so  old  as  I  am." 

"  I'm  old  enough  to  do  this  job." 

"  You  haven't  seen  so  much  of  steamboats  as  I  have." 

"  Now,  Benjamin,  you  mustn't  interfere  with  Lawry 's 
work,"  interposed  Mrs.  Wilford.  "  He  knows  what  he  is 
about." 

"  I'm  not  going  to  interfere  with  him ;  I'm  only  going  to 
help  him." 

"  If  you  really  want  to  help  me,  I'll  tell  you  what  you 
can  do,"  said  Lawry. 

"  What's  that?  " 

"  You  can  run  the  ferry." 

"  Run  the  ferry ! "  exclaimed  Ben.  "  Why,  I  know 
more  about  steamboats  than  you  and  your  engineer  put  to 
gether.  Do  you  suppose  I'm  going  to  run  a  ferry-boat 
when  there's  a  job  of  this  sort  on  hand?  " 

"  You  can  help  more  in  this  way  than  in  any  other,"  per 
sisted  Lawry. 

"  Run  a  ferry-boat ! "  sneered  Ben ;  "  that  isn't  my 
style." 

"  We  don't  need  any  help  on  the  steamer." 

"  Yes,  you  do.  At  any  rate,  I'll  go  down  and  see  what 
you  are  about." 

"  What's  that  rock  for?  "  he  demanded,  pointing  to  the 
sinker  which  lay  on  the  skids. 

"  To  sink  the  casks  with,"  replied  Ethan ;  and  he  ex 
plained  the  process  by  which  the  hogsheads  were  attached 
to  the  hull  of  the  Woodville. 

"  Well,  Lawry,  if  you  had  been  studying  seven  years  to 
get  up  the  stupidest  thing  that  could  be  thought  of,  you 
could  not  have  got  up  a  more  ridiculous  idea  than  this," 
said  Ben,  laughing  contemptuously. 

"  How  would  you  raise  her?  "  asked  Lawry  quietly. 

"  Well,  I  wouldn't  do  it  in  this  way,  I  can  tell  you.  If 
you  want  me  to  take  this  job  in  hand  for  you,  I'll  do  it. 
You  might  as  well  try  to  raise  the  Goblins  as  the  steamer 
in  this  way." 


Haste  and  Waste  61 

"  It  is  very  easy  to  condemn  the  method,"  added  Ethan 
indignantly ;  "  but  it  isn't  so  easy  to  find  a  better  one." 

"  You  say  you  don't  want  any  help  from  me,"  said  Ben. 

"  If  you  can  tell  me  any  better  way,  I  should  like  to  hear 
it,"  replied  Lawry. 

"  If  you  want  me  to  raise  your  steamer,  say  the  word." 

"  Let  me  know  how  you  intend  to  do  it,  first,"  persisted 
Lawry.  "  It's  easier  to  talk  than  it  is  to  do." 

"  You're  smart,  Lawry ;  but  you  can't  raise  that  steamer 
with  those  casks  in  seven  years." 

"  I'll  have  her  on  the  top  of  the  water  by  to-morrow 
night,"  said  the  young  pilot. 

"  No,  you  won't." 

"  You  see !    But  we  must  go  to  work,  Ethan." 

"  That's  just  my  idea,"  said  the  engineer. 
.    "  Then  you  don't  want  me  to  do  the  job?  "  added  Ben. 

"  No,  I  think  not,"  replied  Lawry,  rather  coldly. 

"  I  think  my  way  is  the  best." 

"  Perhaps  it  is ;  but  I  don't  know  what  your  way  is." 

"  I'll  tell  you,  Lawry,  for  I  don't  like  to  have  you  waste 
your  time  and  strength  doing  nothing;  besides,  we  want 
the  steamer  as  soon  as  we  can  get  her,  or  the  season  will  be 
over." 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  we,  Ben  ?  "  asked  Lawry  quietly. 

"  Why,  you  and  me,  of  course.  I  know  something  about 
steamers,  and  perhaps  I  should  be  willing  to  go  captain  of 
your  boat,  if  you  ever  get  her  into  working  order." 

"  Perhaps  you  would,"  answered  Lawry. 

"  Of  course  you  mean  to  use  the  boat  for  the  benefit  of 
the  family,  now  the  old  man  is  jugged  and  can't  do  any 
thing  more  for  them." 

"  To  be  sure  I  do." 

"  I'm  willing  to  do  my  part.  You  can  be  the  pilot,  and 
the  other  fellow  can  be  the  engineer." 

"  And  we  can  both  of  us  have  the  privilege  of  obeying 
your  orders,"  laughed  Lawry. 

"  Well,  I  shouldn't  be  likely  to  interfere  with  you ;  your 
place  would  be  in  the  wheel-house." 
J5 


62  Haste  and  Waste 

"  And  yours  in  the  cabin,  Captain  Wilford.  I  can't  stop 
to  talk  about  this  now.  There  comes  Ethan  with  the  cask." 

"  You  might  as  well  stop  this  foolish  work  first  as  last," 
sneered  the  would-be  captain  of  the  Woodville.  "  I  was  go 
ing  to  tell  you  how  to  raise  her." 

"  Go  on ;  we'll  hear  you,  and  work  at  the  same  time,"  said 
Ethan. 

"  I  should  get  two  of  those  canal-boats,  having  about 
eight  feet  depth  of  hold,"  continued  Ben. 

"  Where  would  you  get  them  ?  "  demanded  Lawry. 

"  Get  them  ?  Hire  them,  of  course.  You  can  get  plenty 
of  them  at  Port  Henry." 

"  Have  you  any  money  in  your  pocket?  " 

"  They  wouldn't  cost  more  than  a  hundred  dollars." 

"  I  haven't  got  even  fifty  dollars,"  said  Lawry. 

"  They  would  trust  you  on  the  security  of  your  steamer." 

"  I  don't  want  to  be  trusted  for  any  such  purpose.  What 
would  you  do  with  your  canal-boats  when  you  had  got 
them  ?  "  asked  Lawry. 

"  I  would  moor  one  on  each  side  of  the  steamer,  put  a 
couple  of  timbers  across  them,  pass  a  chain  under  the  bow 
and  stern  of  the  sunken  hull,  and  make  fast  to  the  timbers. 
Then  I  would  let  the  water  into  the  canal-boats,  and  sink 
them  down  to  the  rails.  When  I  got  them  down  as  deep  as 
I  could,  I  would  tighten  the  chains,  till  they  bore  taut  on 
the  timbers.  Do  you  understand  it,  Lawry  ?  " 

"  Certainly ;  I  know  all  about  the  plan,"  replied  the 
young  pilot,  with  a  smile. 

"  I  don't  believe  you  do,"  said  Ben  incredulously. 
"  What  would  you  do  next?  " 

"  Pump  the  water  out  of  the  two  canal-boats,  which 
would  take  about  two  days'  time." 

"  You  could  rig  extra  pumps." 

"  Three  of  us,  with  three  pumps,  couldn't  pump  them  out 
in  two  days." 

"  Well,  the  job  is  done  when  you  have  pumped  them  out." 

"  When  you  get  the  water  out  of  the  boats,  you  will  have 
raised  the  steamer  but  three  or  four  feet  at  most." 


Haste  and  Waste  63 

"  Six  feet,  at  least,  for  the  canal-boats  will  come  up 
where  they  were  before." 

"  No ;  they  won't ;  the  weight  of  the  steamer  will  press 
them  down  two  or  three  feet." 

An  excited  discussion  followed  upon  this  question;  but 
Lawry  and  Ethan  carried  their  point.  It  was  plain  that 
the  buoyant  powers  of  the  two  boats,  as  the  water  was 
pumped  out  of  them,  would  raise  the  steamer  three  or  four 
feet,  leaving  her  suspended  half-way  between  the  surface 
and  the  bottom  of  the  lake.  Lawry  wanted  the  aspirant  for 
the  captaincy  of  the  Woodville  to  tell  him  what  he  would 
do  next,  for  she  could  not  be  repaired  while  she  was  under 
water ;  but  Ben  was  "  nonplussed  "  and  unable  to  answer. 

"  I  can  finish  that  job  for  you,"  said  Lawry. 

"  She  could  be  moored  on  the  ways,  and  then  hauled  up." 

"  Perhaps  she  might,  but  I  should  rather  put  her  on  the 
ways  from  the  top  of  the  water.  When  I  got  her  three  feet 
from  the  bottom,  I  should  move  her  toward  the  shore  till  she 
grounded." 

"What  then?"  asked  Ben. 

"  I  should  sink  the  canal-boats  again,  pump  them  out 
once  more,  and  thus  raise  her  three  feet  more ;  but  it  would 
take  about  three  days  every  time  we  lifted  her  three  feet. 
Ben,  I  think  we  could  get  her  to  the  top  of  the  water  in 
about  a  fortnight  by  your  plan.  By  mine,  I  shall  have  her 
up  by  to-morrow  night." 

"  I'll  bet  you  won't ;  or  in  a  month,  either.  You  know 
too  much,  Lawry,"  said  Ben. 

"  I  don't  bet ;  but  you  shall  see  her  at  the  ferry-landing 
by  seven  to-morrow  evening  if  you  are  there." 

The  older  brother,  finding  himself  only  a  cipher  on  the 
raft,  had  consented  to  run  the  ferry  in  the  afternoon,  when 
the  horn  sounded ;  and  the  pilot  and  engineer  were  thus  en 
abled  to  continue  their  labor  without  interruption. 


64  Haste  and  Waste 


CHAPTER    X 

HARD      AT      WORK 

WHEN  Lawry  and  Ethan  returned  to  the  Goblins  in  the 
afternoon,  they  were  delighted  to  find  that  the  casks, 
all  of  which  had  been  placed  under  the  guards  abaft  the 
wheel,  had  actually  produced  an  effect  upon  the  steamer. 
The  smokestack  stood  up  more  perpendicularly,  indicating 
that  the  stern  had  been  lifted  from  the  bottom.  Ethan  was 
sure  that  the  casks  would  bring  the  Woodville  to  the  sur 
face;  but  a  very  serious  difficulty  now  presented  itself. 

About  two-thirds  of  the  length  of  the  steamer's  keel 
rested  on  a  flat  rock,  whose  surface  Was  inclined  downward 
toward  the  body  of  the  lake,  leaving  the  third  next  to  the 
stern  unsupported,  under  which  the  ropes  had  been  easily 
drawn  to  retain  the  casks  in  their  places.  Of  course  it  was 
impossible  to  draw  any  lines  under  the  forward  part  of  the 
keel,  which  rested  on  the  flat  rock,  and  it  was  necessary  to 
devise  some  means  for  securing  the  casks  to  this  portion  of 
the  hull. 

"  I  have  it,"  said  Lawry. 

"What  is  it?" 

"  We  must  sink  more  casks  under  the  stern." 

"  But  that  will  bring  one  end  up,  and  leave  the  other  on 
the  rock." 

"  That  isn't  what  I  mean.  If  we  put,  say,  two  more 
hogsheads  under  the  stern,  they  will  raise  it  so  we  can  get 
the  ropes  under  the  forward  part  of  the  hull." 

"  I  understand ;  you  are  right,  Lawry,"  replied  Ethan. 

When  they  returned  to  the  ferry-house,  they  found  Mr. 
Sherwood  and  the  ladies  there,  who  had  come  down  to  ascer 
tain  what  progress  had  been  made  in  the  work.  Ben  Wil- 
ford  had  freely  expressed  his  opinion  that  the  enterprise 
would  end  in  failure. 

"  Those  boys  know  too  much ;  that's  all  the  trouble,"  said 
Ben. 


Haste  and  Waste  65 

"  I  was  in  hopes  they  would  succeed  in  their  undertak 
ing,"  added  Mr.  Sherwood. 

"  So  was  I,  sir ;  but  there's  no  chance  of  their  doing  any 
thing.  I  know  something  about  steamboats,  for  I've  been 
at  work  on  them  for  three  years." 

"  And  you  are  quite  sure  they  will  fail?  "  asked  Mr. 
Sherwood. 

"  Just  as  sure  as  I  am  of  anything  in  this  world.  I  told 
them  what  the  trouble  would  be;  but  they  know  so  much 
they  won't  hear  me.  I  told  them  how  it  ought  to  be  done." 

"  Here  they  come ;  they  can  speak  for  themselves,"  said 
Mr.  Sherwood.  "How  do  you  get  along,  Lawry?" 

"  First-rate,  sir." 

"  Indeed !  Your  brother  thinks  you  are  going  to  make  a 
failure  of  the  job." 

"  Perhaps  we  are,  sir ;  but  we  don't  believe  it  yet — do  we, 
Ethan?" 

"  We  don't." 

"  Lawry,  wouldn't  you  be  willing  to  sell  out  your  inter 
est  in  the  Woodville  at  a  small  figure?  "  laughed  Mr.  Sher 
wood. 

"No,  sir!" 

"  Your  brother,  who  seems  to  be  a  person  of  some  experi 
ence  in  such  matters,  thinks  you  will  not  be  able  to  raise  the 
steamer.  If  that  is  likely  to  be  the  case,  I  don't  want  you 
to  waste  your  time  and  strength  for  nothing.  I  should  be 
glad  to  employ  some  men  to  raise  the  Woodville  for  you." 

"  Thank  you,  sir.     You  are  very  kind,"  replied  Lawry. 

"  If  you  like,  we  will  ride  down  to  Port  Henry  to-night, 
and  employ  a  man  to  do  the  job." 

"  I  think  we  shall  succeed,  sir." 

"  What's  the  use  of  talking,  Lawry  ?  "  interposed  Ben. 
"  You'll  not  get  her  up  in  seven  years." 

"  Don't  you  think  you  had  better  give  it  up,  Lawry?" 
asked  Mr.  Sherwood. 

"  Not  yet,  sir." 

"What  do  you  think,  Lawry?  Hadn't  you  better  let 
me  employ  a  man  to  do  the  work?  " 


66  Haste  and  Waste 

"  Ethan  and  I  can  do  it  very  well,  sir." 

"  Perhaps  you  can ;  but  we  wish  to  have  the  steamer  in 
working  order  as  soon  as  possible,  and  we  may  hasten  the 
joy  by  employing  men  of  experience  to  do  it." 

"  Haste  and  waste,"  said  Lawry,  laughing.  "  Mr.  Sher 
wood,  I  am  satisfied  we  can  raise  the  Woodville.  We  don't 
want  any  help.  If  we  don't  get  her  up  by  to-morrow  night, 
I  will  let  some  one  else  take  hold ;  but  it  will  cost  a  heap  of 
money." 

"  It  shall  not  cost  you  anything,  Lawry.  I  haven't  half 
paid  the  debt  of  gratitude  I  owe  you." 

"  Oh,  never  mind  that,  sir !    I  only  want  one  more  day." 

"  You  are  very  confident,  my.  boy,  and  I  hope  you  will 
succeed,"  added  Mr.  Sherwood,  as  he  turned  to  depart. 

"  Take  him  up,  Lawry,"  said  Ben.  "  Let  him  raise  her. 
He  will  do  it  at  his  own  expense,  and  perhaps  he  will  give 
me  the  job." 

"  Not  to-night." 

"  You  are  a  fool,  Lawry !  "  exclaimed  Ben. 

"  Perhaps  I  am.    Time  will  tell." 

"  He  offered  to  pay  for  raising  her,  and  you  wouldn't  let 
him  do  it !  " 

"  He  has  made  me  a  present  of  the  steamer  as  she  lies ; 
and  I  don't  ask  anything  more  of  him." 

"  Take  all  you  can  get,  Lawry.  That's  the  only  way  to 
get  along  in  this  world." 

Ethan  slept  with  his  fellow  workman  at  the  cottage  that 
night,  and  at  daylight  in  the  morning  they  were  on  their 
way  to  the  Goblins.  At  breakfast-time  two  casks  had  been 
sunk  under  the  bow  of  the  steamer,  for  they  had  become  so 
familiar  with  the  work  that  it  was  carried  on  with  greater 
rapidity  than  at  the  first. 

At  breakfast  they  were  laughed  at  again  by  Ben  Wil- 
f  ord ;  but  they  chose  to  keep  still,  made  no  replies,  and  gave 
no  information  in  regard  to  the  progress  of  the  work.  At 
the  earnest  request  of  Lawry,  seconded  by  Mrs.  Wilford, 
Ben  consented  to  run  the  ferry  that  day,  and  the  young 
engineers  took  their  dinners  with  them  when  they  went  down 


Haste  and  Waste  6*> 

to  the  Goblins.  They  were  full  of  hope,  and  confidently 
expected  to  return  to  the  landing  at  night  with  the  Wood* 
wile. 

At  eleven  o'clock  four  more  hogsheads  had  been  placed 
under  the  guards.  The  steamer  swayed  a  little  in  the  wa 
ter;  the  stern  had  risen  about  two  feet;  and  it  was  evident 
that  she  was  on  the  point  of  floating.  The  boys  were  in 
tensely  excited  at  the  bright  prospect  before  them. 

"  Lawry,  the  work  is  nearly  done,"  said  Ethan. 

"  That's  so ;  I  think  a  couple  of  those  barrels  will  finish 
it,"  answered  the  young  pilot.  "  I  see  two  anchors  at 
her  bow." 

"  Yes,  there  are  two  anchors  and  about  forty  fathoms  of 
small  chain-cable  on  board  of  her." 

"  I  see  them ;  and  I  think  we  had  better  fish  them  up." 

"  That's  a  good  idea." 

With  the  long  boat-hook  which  Ethan  had  made,  the 
cables  were  hauled  up  and  coiled  away  on  the  raft,  which 
had  been  placed  over  the  bow  of  the  sunken  vessel.  When 
the  chains,  which  were  bent  onto  the  anchors,  were  hauled 
taut,  the  sinker  rope,  still  in  the  block,  and  wound  on  the 
windlass  of  the  derrick,  was  made  fast  to  one  of  them,  and 
the  anchor  drawn  up.  The  operation  was  then  repeated  on 
the  other  anchor. 

"  Hurrah !  hurrah ! "  shouted  Lawry,  as  they  began  to 
turn  the  windlass.  "  She's  coming  up." 

"  Hurrah !  "  repeated  Ethan,  and  the  faces  of  both  boys 
glowed  with  excited  joy,  as  the  sunken  vessel  followed  the 
anchor  up  to  the  surface  of  the  water. 

It  was  necessary  to  move  the  raft,  and  the  anchor  was 
hauled  out  over  the  top  of  the  bulwarks.  The  Woodville 
rose  till  her  plank-sheer  was  even  with  the  surface  of  the 
water.  The  boys  shouted  for  joy;  they  were  almost  beside 
themselves  with  the  excitement  of  that  happy  moment. 
They  had  conquered ;  success  had  crowned  their  labors. 

"The  job  is  done!"  cried  Lawry. 

"  That's  so !  Where  is  your  brother  now  ?  "  exclaimed 
Ethan. 


68  Haste  and  Waste 

"  We  have  got  her  up  sooner  than  I  expected.  I  move 
jou  we  have  our  dinner  now." 

"  I  don't  feel  much  like  dinner." 

"  I  do." 

"  What  is  to  be  done  next  ?  " 

"  We  must  get  her  up  a  little  farther  out  of  the  water. 
We  can  easily  get  some  more  casks  under  her  now ;  but  let 
us  have  some  dinner  first." 

They  sat  down  on  a  timber  on  the  raft,  and  ate  the  din 
ner  they  had  brought  with  them.  They  could  not  keep  their 
eyes  off  the  steamer  during  the  meal,  and  they  continued  to 
discuss  the  means  of  completing  the  work  they  had  begun. 

After  dinner  the  labor  was  renewed  with  redoubled  en 
ergy.  Four  more  casks  were  attached  to  the  bow,  and  four 
removed  from  the  stern ;  the  effect  of  which  was  to  lift  the 
bow  out  of  the  water,  while  the  deck  at  the  after  part  was 
again  submerged.  This  was  Lawry's  plan  for  ascertaining 
the  extent  of  the  injury  which  the  hull  had  received.  It 
now  appeared  that,  when  the  Woodville  struck  the  Goblins, 
she  had  slid  upon  a  flat  rock,  while  a  sharp  projection  from 
the  reef  had  stove  a  hole,  not  quite  three  feet  in  diameter, 
just  above  her  keel. 

"  Now  we  must  stop  this  hole,"  said  Lawry ;  "  and  we 
may  as  well  do  it  here  as  anywhere." 

"  That's  just  my  idea,"  responded  Ethan.  "  There's  a 
painted  floor-cloth  in  the  kitchen,  which  will  just  cover  it, 
I  will  get  it." 

"  Have  you  any  small  nails  on  board  ?  " 

"  Plenty  of  them." 

The  kitchen  and  the  engineer's  storeroom  were  now  out 
of  water,  so  that  Ethan  had  no  difficulty  in  procuring  the 
articles  needed  in  stopping  up  the  hole.  A  couple  of  slats 
were  placed  over  the  aperture  to  prevent  the  floor-cloth 
from  being  forced  in  by  the  pressure  of  the  water.  Both 
of  the  boys  then  went  to  work  nailing  on  the  carpet,  which 
was  new  and  very  heavy.  The  nails  were  put  very  close 
together,  and  most  of  them  being  carpet-tacks,  with  broad 
heads,  they  pressed  the  oilcloth  closely  down  to  the  wood- 


Haste  and  Waste  69 

work.  It  was  not  expected  entirely  to  exclude  the  water; 
but  the  leakage  could  be  easily  controlled  by  the  pumps. 

Several  of  the  casks  were  now  removed  from  the  bow  to 
the  stern,  until  the  hull  sat  even  on  the  water.  All  the 
heavy  articles  on  deck,  including  the  contents  of  the  "  chain- 
box,"  were  transferred  to  the  raft,  and  the  laborers  were 
ready  to  commence  the  long  and  trying  operation  of  pump 
ing  her  out.  It  was  now  six  o'clock,  and  it  was  plain  that 
this  job  could  not  be  finished  that  night.  The  wind  was 
beginning  to  freshen,  and  there  were  indications  of  bad 
Weather.  Lawry  had  at  first  intended  to  move  the  Wood- 
ville  up  to  the  ferry-landing  as  soon  as  she  floated;  but 
Ethan,  for  certain  reasons,  which  were  satisfactory  to  his 
fellow  laborer,  wished  to  pump  her  out  where  she  was ;  and 
it  was  found  to  be  a  very  difficult  thing  to  tow  her  up  to  the 
ferry  in  her  water-logged  condition. 

It  was  not  safe  to  leave  her,  with  the  prospect  of  a  heavy 
blow,  so  near  the  Goblins,  and  they  carried  out  the  anchors 
in  the  wherry,  and  with  the  assistance  of  the  capstan  on  the 
forward  deck  heaved  her  out  into  a  secure  position.  The 
Woodville  was  safe  for  the  night,  and  the  supper-horn  was 
sounding  at  the  ferry-house.  Nearly  exhausted  by  their 
severe  exertions,  the  boys  returned  to  the  cottage. 

"  I'm  so  glad  that  you  have  done  it !  "  exclaimed  Mrs. 
Wilford,  when  they  went  in  to  supper. 

She  had  been  a  deeply  interested  observer  of  the  opera 
tions  of  the  young  engineers,  and  her  heart  had  bounded 
with  emotions  of  joy,  in  unison  with  theirs,  when  she  saw 
the  steamer  rise  to  the  surface  of  the  lake. 

"  I  knew  we  should  do  it,  mother,"  replied  Lawry. 
"Where  is  Ben?  " 

"  I  don't  know  where  he  is.  He  went  away  just  after 
dinner,  and  I  haven't  seen  him  since,"  added  the  mother. 

"  But  I  saw  the  ferry-boat  go  over  in  the  middle  of  the 
afternoon." 

"  I  know  you  did." 

"  But  who  went  over  with  her?  " 

"  I  did,"  answered  Mrs.  Wilford  quietly. 


jo  Haste  and  Waste 

"  You,  mother?  " 

"  Yes,  Lawry ;  there  was  no  one  else  to  go,  unless  I  called 
you,  and  I  couldn't  bear  to  take  you  away  from  your  work. 
I've  been  over  in  the  ferry  times  enough  to  know  how  to 
manage  the  boat." 

"  Ben  said  he  would  take  care  of  the  ferry." 

"  He  doesn't  always  do  as  he  promises,"  said  Mrs.  Wil- 
ford  sadly. 

Lawry  thought  it  was  very  kind  of  his  mother  to  run 
the  ferry-boat,  rather  than  disturb  him  at  his  work ;  but  he 
did  not  like  to  have  her  do  such  labor.  When  he  went  out 
after  supper,  he  found  the  wind  was  still  quite  fresh,  and 
he  was  afraid  that  some  accident  might  happen  to  the 
steamer  in  the  night.  If  the  casks  got  loose,  she  would  sink 
again.  While  he  e"d  Ethan  were  talking  about  it,  Ben 
Wilford  returned  home;  and  it  was  evident  from  his  looks 
and  actions  that  he  had  been  drinking  too  much. 


CHAPTER    XI 

ME.    SHEEWOOD   AND   PAETY 

"  WELL,  Lawry,  I  don't  see  the  steamer  at  the  ferry- 
landing,"  said  Ben  Wilford.  "  You  know,  you  promised 
to  have  her  up  here  to-night;  but  I  knew  you  wouldn't." 

"  We  thought  we  wouldn't  bring  her  up  to-night,"  re 
plied  Lawry  coldly. 

"  I  knew  you  wouldn't,  my  boy.  You  didn't  keep  your 
promise." 

"  And  you  didn't  keep  yours." 

"  I  didn't  make  any.  If  I'd  promised  to  fetch  that 
steamer  up,  she'd  been  here." 

"  You  promised  to  run  the  ferry,  and  you  left  it." 

"  No,  I  didn't,  Lawry.  Don't  you  talk  so  to  me.  You 
know  too  much,"  added  Ben  angrily.  "  You  never  will 
raise  that  steamer  in  two  thousand  years." 

"  There  she  is,"  replied  Lawry  quietly,  as  he  pointed  in 
the  direction  of  the  Goblins. 

Ben  looked  at  her ;  he  did  not  seem  to  be  pleased  to  find 


Haste  and  Waste  71 

her  on  the  top  of  the  water.  His  oft-repeated  prophesy  had 
been  a  failure,  and  Lawry  was  full  as  smart  as  people  said 
he  was. 

"  Humph !  "  said  he.  "  She  isn't  much  of  a  steamboat  i£ 
those  barrels  brought  her  up." 

"  There  she  is ;  and  I  have  done  all  I  promised  to  do." 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  next,  Lawry  ?  " 

"  I'm  going  to  pump  her  out  next." 

"  You'd  better  do  it  pretty  quick,  or  she'll  go  to  the  bot 
tom  again,"  added  Ben,  as  he  walked  into  the  house. 

"  There  comes  Mr.  Sherwood,  with  the  ladies,"  said 
Lawry,  as  he  glanced  up  the  road. 

"  I  congratulate  you,  boys,"  said  Mr.  Sherwood,  as  he 
grasped  Lawry's  hand.  "  We  gave  three  cheers  for  you  on 
the  hill,  when  we  saw  that  you  had  raised  the  Vioodville" 

"  Thank  you,  sir.  We  worked  pretty  hard,  but  we  were 
successful." 

"  You  have  done  bravely,"  said  Mrs.  Sherwood.  "  We 
thought,  from  what  your  brother  said  last  night,  that  you 
would  fail." 

"  Ethan  and  I  didn't  think  so." 

"  I  suppose  you  wouldn't  sell  very  cheap  to-night, 
Lawry,"  added  Mr.  Sherwood. 

"  No,  sir ;  the  Woodmlle  is  a  gift,  and  I  should  not  be 
willing  to  sell  her  at  any  price." 

"  Well,  Lawry,  I  am  as  glad  as  you  are  at  your  success. 
Do  you  want  any  help  yet?  " 

"  No,  sir ;  we  are  just  going  on  board  of  her  to  stay  over 
night,  for  we  are  afraid  the  heavy  wind  will  do  mischief." 

"  I  wouldn't  do  that.    You  must  rest  to-night." 

"  I'm  afraid  something  will  happen  if  we  don't  look  out 
for  her." 

"  Are  you  going  to  pump  her  out  to-night  ?  " 

"  We  may  begin  pretty  early  in  the  morning,"  said 
Lawry,  with  a  smile. 

"  Haste  and  waste,  my  boy.  If  you  stay  on  board  of  her 
to-night,  and  get  sick,  you  will  not  make  anything  by  your 
labor." 


72  Haste  and  Waste 

"  If  the  wind  goes  down,  we  shall  sleep  ashore  as  usual. 
I  don't  think  it  blows  quite  so  hard  as  it  did." 

"  I  don't,"  added  Ethan. 

"  Boys,  you  mustn't  overdo  this  thing,"  added  Mr.  Sher 
wood  seriously. 

His  wife  whispered  to  him  just  then. 

"  Yes,  Bertha,"  he  continued.  "  I'll  tell  you  what  I'm 
going  to  do,  Lawry.  I  have  four  men  at  work  for  me.  I 
can  spare  them  one  day,  and  they  shall  pump  out  the 
Woodville  for  you." 

"You  needn't  object,"  interposed  Mrs.  Sherwood. 

"  Indeed  you  must  not,  Lawry,"  added  Miss  Fanny.  "  I 
am  afraid  you  will  both  be  sick  if  you  work  so  hard." 

"  We  can  easily  pump  her  out  ourselves,"  said  Ethan. 

"  You  needn't  say  a  word,  Ethan,"  added  Fanny  Jane. 

"  I  suppose  we  shall  have  to  submit,"  replied  Lawry, 
laughing.  "  We  can't  oppose  the  ladies." 

"  Just  as  you  say,  Lawry,"  said  Ethan. 

"  You  shall  have  the  men  to-morrow,  boys.  Now  you 
must  go  to  bed,  and  not  think  of  the  steamer  till  morning," 
continued  Mr.  Sherwood. 

As  the  wind  seemed  to  be  subsiding,  the  boys  went  into 
the  house ;  and  though  it  was  not  quite  dark,  they  "  turned 
in,"  tired  enough  to  sleep  without  rocking.  Ben  was  at  his 
supper,  in  no  pleasant  frame  of  mind.  He  was  dissatisfied 
with  himself,  and  with  his  brother,  who  had  succeeded  in 
his  undertaking  contrary  to  his  prophecy.  He  was  envious 
and  jealous  of  Lawry.  Now  that  his  father  was  away,  he 
thought  he  ought  to  be  the  chief  person  about  the  house, 
being  the  oldest  boy. 

"  I'm  not  going  to  stay  at  home,  and  be  a  nobody,"  said 
he  angrily. 

"  We  don't  wish  you  to  be  a  nobody,"  replied  his  mother. 

*'  Yes,  you  do ;  Lawry  is  everybody,  and  I'm  nobody." 

"  You've  been  drinking,  Benjamin." 

"  What  if  I  have!  I'm  not  going  to  stay  here,  and  play 
second  fiddle  to  a  little  boy." 

"What  are  you  talking  about,  Benjamin?    Lawry  has 


Haste  and  Waste  73 

not  interfered  with  you.     He  will  treat  you  kindly  and  re 
spectfully,  as  he  treats  everybody." 

*'  He  don't  mind  any  more  what  I  say  than  he  does  the 
grunting  of  the  pigs." 

"  What  do  you  want  him  to  do  ?  " 

"  I  want  him  to  pay  some  attention  to  what  I  say," 
snarled  Ben.  "  I  suppose  he  thinks  that  steamboat  be 
longs  to  him." 

"  Certainly  he  does,"  replied  Mrs.  Wilford. 

"  I  don't." 

"  Don't  you  ?    Whom  does  it  belong  to,  then  ?  " 

"  I'm  not  a  fool,  mother ;  I  know  a  thing  or  two  as  well 
as  some  others.  Lawry  is  not  of  age." 

"  Neither  are  you." 

"  I  know  that,  but  I'm  older  than  he  is." 

"  You  are  old  enough  to  behave  better." 

"  How  do  you  expect  me  to  be  anybody  here,  when  I  have 
to  knock  under  to  my  younger  brother?  I  say  the  steamer 
don't  belong  to  Lawry  any  more  than  she  does  to  me.  I 
have  just  as  much  right  in  her  as  he  has." 

"What  do  you  mean  by  talking  so,  Benjamin?  You 
know  that  Mr.  Sherwood  gave  the  steamer  to  Lawry,  and 
the  bill  of  sale  is  in  Lawry's  name." 

"  I  don't  care  for  that !  she's  just  as  much  mine  as  she  is 
his,  and  he'll  find  that  out  when  she  gets  to  running. 
Lawry's  a  minor,  and  can't  hold  any  property;  you  know 
that  just  as  well  as  I  do." 

"  What  if  he  is  ?  I  think  he  will  be  permitted  to  hold  the 
steamboat,  and  run  her." 

"  I  don't  think  so.  I  was  talking  with  Taylor,  who  holds 
the  mortgage  on  this  place,  and  he  don't  think  so,"  added 
Ben,  in  a  tone  of  triumph. 

"What  did  he  say?" 

"  Well,  he  means  to  attach  the  steamboat  on  the  note  he 
holds  against  father." 

"  He  will  not  do  that !  "  replied  Mrs.  Wilford. 

"  He  says  so,  anyhow." 


74  Haste  and  Waste 

"  He  will  foreclose  the  mortgage  on  the  place  if  he  wants 
to  get  his  money." 

"  The  place  will  not  sell  for  enough  to  pay  his  note,  and 
he  knows  it.  No  matter  about  him — the  steamboat  belongs 
to  father,  just  as  much  as  the  ferry-boat  does ;  and  I  think 
I  ought  to  have  something  to  say  about  her." 

"  If  you  want  to  do  anything  for  the  family,  why  can't 
you  run  the  ferry-boat,  Benjamin?  " 

"  And  let  Lawry  run  the  steamboat  ?    Not  if  I  know  my 
self  !  "  replied  Ben,  with  savage  emphasis.     "  He  may  run  \ 
the  ferry-boat,  and  I'll  run  the  steamer." 

"  That  would  be  neither  fair  nor  right.  The  steamer 
belongs  to  Lawry,  and  I  will  never  consent  that  he  shall  be 
turned  out  of  her." 

*'  I  don't  want  to  turn  him  out  of  her.  I'll  take  charge 
of  her,  and  he  may  go  pilot ;  that's  all  he's  good  for." 

"  You  mean  that  you'll  be  captain?  " 

"  That's  what  I  mean." 

"  I  don't  think  Lawry  will  want  any  one  to  be  captain 
over  him. 

"  If  I  don't  run  that  steamer,  nobody  shall !  "  said  Ben 
angrily,  as  he  rose  and  left  the  house. 

"  Good  evening,  Mrs.  Wilford,"  said  Mr.  Sherwood. 
"  Has  Lawry  gone  to  bed?  " 

"  Yes,  an  hour  ago." 

"Is  he  asleep?" 

"  I  suppose  he  is." 

"  All  right,  then." 

"  What  in  the  world  are  you  going  to  do  with  such  a 
crowd  of  men,  Mr.  Sherwood?  " 

"  I'm  going  to  help  the  boys  finish  their  job.  Ethan  told 
me  they  had  stopped  the  leak,  and  it  only  remained  to  pump 
out  the  steamer.  I  am  going  to  do  this  job;  and  I  have 
men  enough  to  finish  it  in  a  couple  of  hours." 

"  I  should  think  you  had,"  added  Mrs.  Wilford. 

"  I  have  gathered  together  all  the  men  I  could  find. 
Don't  say  a  word  to  the  boys,  if  you  please.  I  intend  to 


Haste  and  Waste  75 

surprise  them.  They  will  find  the  steamer  free  of  water  in 
the  morning." 

"  You  are  very  kind,  Mr.  Sherwood,  to  take  so  much 
trouble." 

"  The  boys  have  worked  so  well  that  they  deserve  encour 
agement.  May  I  take  the  ferry-boat  to  convey  my  men  up 
to  the  steamer?  " 

"  Certainly,  sir." 

Mr.  Sherwood  encouraged  the  men  to  work  well  by  the 
promise  of  extra  pay ;  and  the  laborers  seemed  to  regard 
the  occasion  as  a  grand  frolic.  They  exerted  themselves  to 
the  utmost,  and  the  buckets  flew  along  the  lines,  while  the 
pumps  rolled  out  the  water  in  a  continuous  flow.  As  the 
steamer,  relieved  of  the  weight  that  pressed  her  down,  rose 
on  the  surface  of  the  lake,  it  was  only  necessary  to  lift  the 
water  from  below  and  pour  it  upon  the  deck,  from  which  it 
would  run  off  itself. 

The  job  did  not  last  long  before  such  a  strong  force ;  and 
in  two  hours  the  work  of  the  bailers  was  done.  Ethan 
had  fully  described  the  method  by  which  the  hole  in 
the  hull  of  the  Woodville  had  been  stopped;  but  Mr. 
Sherwood  had  some  doubts  in  regard  to  the  strength  of  the 
material,  and  he  went  below  to  examine  the  place.  Lawry 
and  his  fellow  laborer  had  had  no  opportunity  to  test  the 
strength  and  fitness  of  the  work  they  had  done,  while  the 
boat  was  full  of  water. 

On  examination,  Mr.  Sherwood  found  several  small  jets 
of  water  streaming  through  the  seams  between  the  planks, 
outside  of  the  canvas  carpet,  which  he  stopped  with  packing 
from  the  engineer's  storeroom.  The  braces  which  the  boys 
had  put  over  the  hole  kept  the  oilcloth  in  position,  and 
when  the  packing  had  been  driven  into  the  open  seams  with 
a  chisel  and  mallet,  hardly  any  water  came  in  around  the 
aperture.  The  boys  were  warmly  commended  by  their  par 
tial  friend  for  the  skill  they  had  displayed  in  stopping  the 
leak ;  and  some  of  the  men,  who  were  familiar  with  vessels, 
agreed  that  the  steamer  would  not  leak  ten  strokes  an  hour. 

It  was  therefore  safe  to  leave  her;  and  Mr.  Sherwood 


76  Haste  and  Waste 

was  satisfied  that  the  boys  would  not  find  the  water  up  to 
the  bottom  of  the  cabin  floor  in  the  morning.  He  carefully 
examined  every  part  of  the  steamer  to  assure  himself  that 
everything  was  right  before  he  left  her.  The  pumps  were 
tried  again,  just  before  they  embarked  for  home,  but  they 
yielded  only  a  few  strokes  of  water. 

The  party  returned  to  the  landing,  and  Mr.  Sherwood 
cautioned  the  men  not  to  make  any  noise  as  they  passed  the 
cottage,  fearful  that  the  boys  might  be  awakened  and  the 
delightful  surprise  in  store  for  them  spoiled.  But  Lawry 
and  Ethan,  worn  out  by  the  fatigue  and  excitement  of  the 
day,  slept  like  logs,  and  the  discharge  of  a  battery  of  artil 
lery  under  their  chamber  window  would  hardly  have  aroused 
them  from  their  slumbers.  The  men  went  to  their  several 
homes,  and  all  was  quiet  at  the  ferry. 


CHAPTER    XII 

FROM    DESPONDENCY   TO   REJOICING 

BEN  WELFORD  made  his  way  to  the  deck  of  the  steamer, 
and  in  the  darkness  stumbled  against  the  cables,  with  which 
the  boat  was  anchored.  He  was  bent  on  mischief,  and  he 
unstoppered  the  cables,  permitting  them  to  run  out  and 
sink  to  the  bottom  of  the  lake.  The  wind  was  blowing,  still 
pretty  fresh,  from  the  west,  and  the  steamer,  now  loosened 
from  her  moorings,  began  to  drift  toward  the  middle  of 
the  lake. 

"  They'll  find  I'm  not  a  nobody,"  whined  he.  "  She'll  go 
down  in  the  deep  water  this  time." 

The  drunken  villain  then  stumbled  about  the  deck  till  he 
found  the  lines  which  kept  the  hogsheads  in  place  under  the 
guards.  Groaning,  crying,  and  swearing,  he  untied  and 
threw  the  ropes  overboard.  Some  of  the  casks,  relieved  of 
the  pressure  on  them  by  the  removal  of  the  water  from  the 
interior  of  the  hull,  came  out  from  their  places  and  floated 
off.  Ben  rolled  into  the  wherry  again,  and  with  the  boat- 
hook  hauled  the  others  out.  Satisfied  that  he  had  done  his 


Haste  and  Waste  77 

work,  and  that  the  Woodville  would  soon  go  down  in  the 
middle  of  the  lake,  he  pulled  as  rapidly  as  his  intoxicated 
condition  would  permit  toward  the  ferry-landing. 

"  They'll  find  I'm  not  a  nobody,"  he  repeated,  as  he 
rowed  to  the  shore.  "  They  can't  raise  her  now ;  and  they'll 
never  see  her  again." 

Intoxicated  as  he  was,  he  had  not  lost  his  sense  of  cau 
tion.  He  knew  that  he  had  done  a  mean  and  wicked  action, 
which  it  might  be  necessary  for  him  to  conceal.  As  he  ap 
proached  the  landing,  he  wiped  his  eyes,  and  choked  down 
the  emotions  that  agitated  him.  He  tried  to  make  no  noise, 
but  his  movements  were  very  uncertain ;  he  tumbled  over  the 
thwarts,  and  rattled  the  oars,  so  that,  if  those  in  the  cottage 
had  not  slept  like  rocks,  they  must  have  heard  him.  He 
reeled  up  to  the  house,  took  off  his  shoes,  and  crept  up 
stairs  to  his  room.  He  made  noise  enough  to  wake  his 
mother;  but  Lawry  and  Ethan  were  not  disturbed. 

The  wretch  had  accomplished  his  work.  He  was  satisfied, 
as  he  laid  his  boozy  head  upon  the  pillow,  that  the  Wood 
ville  was  even  then  at  the  bottom  of  the  lake,  with  a  hundred 
feet  of  water  rolling  over  her.  It  was  two  o'clock  in  the 
morning;  but  the  vile  tipple  he  had  drank,  and  the  deed 
he  had  done,  so  excited  him  that  he  could  not  sleep.  He 
tossed  on  his  bed  till  the  day  dawned,  and  the  blessed  light 
streamed  in  at  the  window  of  the  attic. 

"  Four  o'clock ! '  shouted  Lawry,  as  the  timepiece  in  the 
kitchen  struck  the  hour.  "  All  hands  ahoy,  Ethan !  " 

His  enthusiastic  fellow  laborer  needed  no  second  call,  and 
leaped  out  of  bed.  Ben  was  still  awake,  and  the  lapse  of 
the  hours  had  in  some  measure  sobered  him. 

"  It's  a  fine  day,  Ethan,"  said  Lawry. 

"  Glad  of  that.  How  long  do  you  suppose  it  will  take 
us  to  pump  her  out?  " 

"  All  day,  I  think ;  but  we  are  to  have  four  men  to  help 
us.  I  was  considering  that  matter  when  I  went  to  sleep 
last  night,"  replied  Lawry.  "  I  was  thinking  whether  we 
could  not  rig  a  barrel  under  a  derrick,  so  as  to  get  along 
a  little  faster  than  the  pumps  will  do  it." 
J6 


78  Haste  and  Waste 

"  Perhaps  we  can ;  we  will  see." 

"  Where  is  your  steamer?  "  asked  Ben,  rising  in  bed. 

"  We  anchored  her  near  the  Goblins,"  replied  Lawry. 

"  She  isn't  there  now,"  added  Ben. 

"  How  do  you  know  ?  "  demanded  the  pilot. 

"  I've  been  sick,  and  couldn't  sleep ;  so  I  got  up  and  went 
outdoors.  She  isn't  where  you  left  her,  and  I  couldn't  see 
anything  of  her  anywhere." 

"  Couldn't  see  her !  "  exclaimed  Ethan. 

"  I  knew  very  well  she  wouldn't  stay  on  top  of  the  water. 
Casks  wouldn't  keep  her  up,"  said  Ben  maliciously. 

Lawry  rushed  out  of  the  room  to  the  other  end  of  the 
house,  the  attic  window  of  which  commanded  a  full  view  of 
the  lake.  As  his  brother  had  declared,  the  Woodville  was 
not  at  her  anchorage  where  they  had  left  her ;  neither  was 
she  to  be  seen,  whichever  way  he  looked. 

"  She  is  gone !  "  cried  he,  returning  to  his  chamber. 

"  Of  course  she  is  gone,"  added  Ben. 

"  I  don't  understand  it." 

"  She  has  gone  to  the  bottom,  of  course,  where  I  told  you 
she  would  go.  You  were  a  fool  to  leave  her  out  there  in  the 
deep  water.  She  has  gone  down  where  you  will  never  see 
her  again." 

"  It  was  impossible  for  her  to  sink  with  all  those  casks 
under  her  guards,"  said  Ethan. 

"  I  guess  you  will  find  she  has  sunk.  I  told  you  she 
would.  If  you  had  only  minded  what  I  told  you,  she  would 
have  been  all  right,  Lawry." 

Both  of  the  boys  seemed  to  be  paralyzed  at  the  discovery, 
and  made  no  reply  to  Ben.  They  could  not  realize  that  all 
the  hard  labor  they  had  performed  was  lost.  It  was  hard 
and  cruel,  and  each  reproached  himself  because  they  had 
not  passed  the  night  on  board  of  the  steamer,  as  they  had 
purposed  to  do. 

"  Well,  it's  no  use  to  stand  here  like  logs,"  said  Lawry. 
"  If  she  has  sunk,  we  will  find  out  where  she  is." 

"  I  reckon  you'll  never  see  her  again,  Lawry.  Those  old 
casks  leaked,  I  suppose,  and  when  they  were  full  of  water 


Haste  and  Waste  79 

the  steamer  went  down  again ;  or  else  they  broke  loose  from 
her  when  the  wind  blew  so  hard." 

"  It  didn't  blow  much  when  we  went  to  bed.  What  time 
did  you  come  home,  Ben?  " 

"  I  don't  know  what  time  it  was,"  he  answered  evasively. 

"  Come,  Ethan,  let's  go  and  find  out  what  the  matter  is," 
continued  Lawry,  as  he  led  the  way  downstairs. 

Mrs.  Wilford  was  not  up,  but  she  was  awake,  and  was 
anticipating  with  great  satisfaction  the  pleasure  of  the  sur 
prise  which  awaited  the  boys,  when  they  discovered  that  the 
steamer  had  been  freed  from  water.  They  left  the  house, 
and  went  down  to  the  ferry.  The  Woodville  certainly  was 
not  where  they  had  left  her ;  not  even  the  top  of  her  smoke 
stack  could  be  seen  peering  above  the  water  to  inform  them 
that  she  still  existed. 

"  Well,  Lawry,  we  may  as  well  go  out  to  the  place  where 
we  left  her.  If  she  has  sunk,  we  may  be  able  to  see  her," 
said  Ethan. 

They  got  into  the  boat;  but  one  of  the  oars  was  gone. 
Ben  had  lost  it  overboard  when  he  landed,  and  it  had  floated 
off.  There  was  another  pair  in  the  woodshed  of  the  house, 
and  Lawry  went  up  for  them.  As  he  entered  the  shed,  he 
met  his  mother,  who  had  just  risen,  and  gone  out  for  wood 
to  kindle  the  fire.  The  poor  boy  looked  so  sad  and  discon 
solate  that  his  long  face  attracted  her  attention. 

"  What's  the  matter,  Lawry?  "  she  asked. 

"  The  steamer  has  sunk  again,"  replied  the  son. 

"  Sunk  again !  "  exclaimed  his  mother. 

"  She  is  not  to  be  seen,  and  Ben  says  she  has  gone  down." 

"  Ben  says  so  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  he  told  us  of  it  before  we  came  down.  We  are 
going  to  look  for  her  now,"  answered  Lawry. 

What  Lawry  had  said  excited  the  suspicion  of  his  mother, 
as  she  thought  of  the  malicious  words  of  her  older  son  on 
the  preceding  evening.  She  was  excited  and  indignant; 
she  feared  he  had  executed  the  wicked  purpose  which  she 
was  confident  he  had  cherished.  She  went  into  the  house, 
and  upstairs  to  the  room  where  Ben  still  lay  in  bed. 


8o  Haste  and  Waste 

"  Benjamin,  what  have  you  done?  "  demanded  she. 

"  I  haven't  done  anything.  I'm  a  nobody  here !  "  replied 
the  inebriated  young  man,  with  surly  emphasis. 

"  What  did  you  mean  last  night  when  you  said  that  you 
should  run  that  steamer,  or  nobody  should  ?  "  asked  Mrs. 
Wilford. 

"  I  meant  just  what  I  said.  You  and  Lawry  both  said  I 
shouldn't  run  her — and  she  has  gone  to  the  bottom  again ; 
she'll  stay  there  this  time." 

"  Oh,  Benjamin ! "  said  his  mother,  bursting  into  tears. 
"  How  could  you  be  so  wicked  ?  " 

"  Did  you  think  I'd  stay  round  here,  and  be  a  nobody  ?  " 
growled  the  wretched  young  man. 

"  Did  you  sink  that  steamer?  " 

"What  if  I  did?" 

"Oh,  Benjamin!" 

"  You  needn't  cry  about  it.  Next  time,  you'd  better  not 
try  to  make  a  nobody  out  of  me." 

"  Don't  you  think  I've  had  trouble  enough,  without  try 
ing  to  make  more  for  me?  "  sobbed  the  distressed  mother. 

"  If  you  had  told  Lawry  to  give  me  the  charge  of  the 
steamer,  he  would  have  done  it,"  whined  Ben. 

"  I  shouldn't  tell  him  any  such  thing ! "  replied  Mrs. 
Wilford  indignantly.  "  A  pretty  captain  of  a  steamboat 
you  would  make !  You  are  so  tipsy  now  you  can't  hold  your 
head  up ! " 

"  I'm  as  sober  as  you  are." 

Mrs.  Wilford  knew  that  it  was  useless  to  talk  to  a  person 
in  his  condition,  and  she  left  him  to  sleep  off  the  effect  of 
his  cups  if  he  could,  after  the  evil  deed  he  had  done.  Full 
of  sympathy  for  Lawry,  under  his  great  affliction,  she  left 
the  house,  and  hastened  down  to  the  landing,  to  learn,  if 
possible,  the  condition  of  the  Woodville.  Lawry  and  Ethan 
were  in  the  wherry,  returning  to  the  shore,  when  she 
reached  the  landing. 

"  Hurrah !  hurrah !  "  shouted  both  of  the  boys,  in  unison, 
as  Mrs.  Wilford  came  in  sight. 

"  What  now  ?  "  asked  the  anxious  mother. 


Haste  and  Waste  81 

"  She's  safe,  mother !    She  has  not  sunk,"  replied  Lawry. 

"  Where  is  she?  I  don't  see  her  anywhere,"  added  Mrs. 
Wilford,  scanning  the  lake  in  every  direction. 

"  Over  on  the  other  side,"  replied  Lawry. 

"  What's  the  reason  she  dioln't  sink  ?  "  continued  his 
mother. 

"  The  casks  kept  her  up,  of  course.  We  want  something 
for  breakfast  and  for  dinner,  mother,  for  she  is  so  far  off 
we  can't  come  home  till  we  have  pumped  her  out;  and  I 
won't  leave  her  again  till  I  am  sure  she's  all  right." 

"  What  shall  I  do  about  the  ferry,  mother?  "  asked 
Lawry.  "  Will  Ben  run  the  boat  to-day  ?  " 

"  Don't  trouble  yourself  about  the  ferry,  Lawry.  If  Ben- 
jamin  won't  take  care  of  it,  I  will." 

"  I  don't  want  you  to  do  it,  mother." 

"  I  think  your  brother  will  run  the  boat ;  at  any  rate,  you 
needn't  give  it  a  thought." 

Mrs.  Wilford  was  quite  as  happy  as  the  boys  to  find  that 
the  steamer  was  not  at  the  bottom  of  the  lake  again ;  and 
she  returned  to  the  cottage  with  a  light  heart,  when  she  had 
seen  the  wherry  leave  the  shore. 

From  the  deepest  depths  of  despondency,  if  not  despair, 
the  young  engineers  had  been  raised  to  the  highest  pinnacle 
of  hope  and  joy  when  the  Woodville  was  discovered  on  the 
other  side  of  the  lake.  She  had  drifted  in  behind  a  point 
of  land,  and  could  not  be  seen  from  the  ferry.  They  had 
gone  out  to  the  place  where  she  had  been  anchored,  near  the 
Goblins;  and  while  they  were  gazing  down  into  the  deep 
water  in  search  of  her,  Ethan  happened  to  raise  his  eyes 
and  saw  her  on  the  other  side  of  the  lake.  What  a  thrill 
went  through  his  heart  as  he  recognized  her !  And  what  a 
thrill  he  communicated  to  Lawry  when  he  pointed  her  out 
to  him ! 

"  Why,  the  casks  are  all  gone ! "  exclaimed  Ethan. 

"  All  gone !  "  replied  Lawry. 

"  She  must  be  aground,"  added  Ethan ;  "  but  she  sets 
out  of  water  a  great  deal  farther  than  when  we  left  her." 

"  We  shall  soon  find  out  what  the  matter  is,"  continued 


82  Haste  and  Waste 

Lawry.  "  She  is  safe,  and  on  the  top  of  the  water ;  that's 
enough  for  me  at  the  present  time." 

"  What  does  this  mean  ?  "  he  exclaimed. 

"  I  don't  know.  The  water  couldn't  have  run  out  of  her 
without  some  help,"  replied  Ethan. 

"  I  don't  understand  it,"  added  Lawry.  "  The  casks 
dre  all  gone,  and  the  steamer  has  been  pumped  out.  Some 
body  must  have  done  this  work." 

"  That's  true,"  said  Ethan.  "  Somebody  has  certainly 
been  here." 

"  There's  no  doubt  of  that ;  but  I  can't  see,  for  the  life  of 
me,  what  they  wanted  to  set  her  adrift  for." 

*'  Nor  I ;  they  were  good  friends  to  pump  her  out  for  us, 
whoever  they  were.  In  my  opinion,  Mr.  Sherwood  knows 
.something  about  this  job." 

"  But  slipping  the  cables  looks  just  as  though  they  in 
tended  to  have  her  smashed  up  on  the  shore,"  added  Lawry. 
"  The  anchors  are  not  here,  and,  of  course,  they  are  on  the 
bottom  of  the  lake.  I  don't  see  through  this  business." 

"  Nor  I,  either ;  but  one  thing  we  can  see  through ;  the 
steamer  is  safe,  with  the  water  all  pumped  out  of  her.  We 
may  as  well  go  to  work,  and  get  her  over  to  the  ferry." 

This  was  good  counsel,  and  without  losing  any  more  time 
in  attempts  to  fathom  what  was  dark  and  strange,  they 
commenced  the  labors  of  the  day. 


CHAPTER    XIII 

GETTING    UP    STEAM 

A  SURVEY  of  the  position  of  the  Woodville  showed  that 
she  was  slightly  aground  at  the  stern ;  but  Ethan  was  con 
fident  that  a  few  turns  of  the  wheels  would  bring  her  off. 
The  boys  then  tried  the  pumps ;  but  after  less  than  a  hun 
dred  strokes  they  refused  to  yield  any  more  water.  They 
then  carefully  examined  every  part  of  the  interior  below 
the  decks. 


Haste  and  Waste  83 

"She's  all  right,"  said  Lawry.  "What  shall  we  do 
now?" 

"  Get  up  steam,"  replied  Ethan.  "  I  have  a  couple  of 
hours'  work  to  do  on  the  engine ;  but  we  will  start  the  fur 
naces  at  once." 

"  Can't  I  make  the  fire?  "  asked  Lawry. 

"  Yes,  if  you  know  how." 

"  You  can  show  me.  I  don't  know  much  about  steam- 
boilers  and  engines." 

"  We  will  get  our  dry  wood  out  of  the  wherry,  and  I  will 
help  you  start  the  fire.  While  I  am  at  work  on  the  engine, 
you  will  have  to  overhaul  your  steering-gear,  and  see  that 
it  is  all  right.  The  chains  and  pulleys  will  need  to  be  oiled." 

Lawry  got  into  the  wherry,  and  threw  the  dry  wood  on 
deck.  Ethan  had  not  expected  to  kindle  the  fires  till  night,, 
when  he  hoped  the  water  would  be  below  the  furnaces.  It 
was  a  grateful  surprise  to  be  able  at  once  to  go  to  work  on 
the  engine.  He  was  enthusiastic  in  his  fondness  for  ma 
chinery,  and  that  of  the  Woodville  was  his  particular  pet. 

After  he  had  tried  the  valves  on  the  boiler,  and  assured 
himself  that  it  contained  the  proper  supply  of  water,  the 
fires  were  started  in  the  furnaces.  There  was  plenty  of 
wood  and  coal  on  board,  though  the  former  was  so  wet  that 
it  would  not  burn  without  some  assistance,  which  was  fur 
nished  by  the  dry  fuel  brought  off  in  the  wherry.  In  a  little 
while  the  furnaces  were  roaring  with  the  blaze  from  the 
wood,  and  the  coal  was  shoveled  in.  Ethan,  having  dried  a 
quantity  of  the  wet  packing,  commenced  rubbing  down  and 
oiling  the  machinery.  He  was  in  his  element  now,  and  nevef 
was  a  young  man  in  a  higher  state  of  keen  enjoyment. 

While  he  was  thus  engaged,  Lawry  overhauled  the  steer*' 
ing  apparatus,  rubbed  down  the  wheel,  oiled  the  pulleys, 
and  satisfied  himself  that  everything  was  in  working  order. 
The  situation  and  the  work  were  in  the  highest  degree  ex 
hilarating.  It  was  not  labor  to  clean  and  adjust  the  gear; 
it  was  a  pleasure  such  as  he  had  never  realized  from  the 
most  exciting  sports.  He  could  hardly  repress  the  rapture 


84  Haste  and  Waste 

he  felt  when  he  saw  the  black  smoke  from  the  pine  wood 
pouring  out  of  the  smokestack. 

"  This  is  my  steamer,"  said  he  to  himself.  "  I  am  the 
owner  of  her." 

The  thought  made  him  laugh  with  joy.  He  stood  up  at 
the  wheel,  and  though  he  could  not  turn  it,  because  the  rud 
der  Was  fast  in  the  sand,  he  knew  exactly  how  he  should  feel 
when  he  stood  in  this  position  with  the  Woodville  gliding 
swiftly  over  the  bright  waters  of  the  lake. 

The  steering-gear  was  in  perfect  order,  so  far  as  he  could 
judge  without  using  it,  and  Ethan  was  still  busy  at  the 
engine.  Lawry  could  not  deny  himself  the  pleasure  of  a 
survey  of  the  steamer,  for  the  purpose  of  admiring  her  com 
forts  and  conveniences.  He  walked  up  and  down  the  main- 
deck,  entered  the  saloon  and  the  cabin,  visited  the  forehold, 
and  opened  the  doors  of  the  various  apartments  forward  of 
the  paddle-boxes.  It  is  true,  everything  was  in  a  state  of 
"  confusion  worse  confounded."  Carpets  were  soaked  with 
water,  curtains  were  drabbled  and  stained,  sofas  and  chairs 
upset  in  the  cabin  and  saloon ;  while  in  the  kitchen  and 
storerooms,  shelves  and  lockers  had  been  emptied,  and  their 
contents  strewed  in  wild  disorder  about  the  apartments. 

But  Lawry  knew  how  order  could  be  brought  out  of 
chaos,  and  the  derangement  of  furniture  and  utensils  did 
not  disturb  him.  It  would  be  a  delightful  occupation  to 
restore  harmony  to  these  shelves  and  lockers,  to  bring  order 
and  neatness  out  of  the  confusion  which  reigned  in  every 
part  of  the  steamer.  When  he  had  completed  his  survey, 
he  went  to  the  engine-room,  and  offered  his  services  to 
Ethan  for  duty  in  his  department.  As  the  engineer  had 
nothing  for  him  to  do,  he  returned  to  the  kitchen,  and  busied 
himself  in  putting  things  to  rights  there,  foreseeing  that 
this  apartment  would  soon  be  needed.  He  made  a  fire  in 
the  galley,  in  order  to  dry  the  room  more  speedily,  and  then 
occupied  his  time  in  picking  up  the  tins  and  the  kettles,  and 
putting  them  in  their  places. 

While  he  was  examining  the  lockers  and  shelves,  he  found 
part  of  a  leg  of  bacon,  and  some  potatoes,  which  had  been 


Haste  and  Waste  85 

left  from  the  stores  used  by  the  crew  on  the  passage  from 
New  York  up  to  the  lake.  There  were  coffee  and  tea  in  the 
canisters,  sugar  in  the  buckets,  butter  and  salt  in  the  boxes ; 
though  all  these  articles  had  been  more  or  less  soaked  in  the 
water,  depending  upon  the  tightness  of  the  vessels  that  held 
them.  There  was  a  good  fire  in  the  stove,  and  a  bright 
thought  entered  Lawry's  excited  brain ;  he  and  his  compan 
ion  would  breakfast  on  fried  ham  and  potatoes,  flanked  with 
hot  coffee ! 

Lawry  was  a  cook  of  no  mean  accomplishments,  and  he 
immediately  went  to  work  in  carrying  out  his  brilliant  idea. 
Somehow,  it  is  a  singular  fact  that  boys  have  a  special  de 
light  in  "  getting  up  something  to  eat "  in  the  woods,  on 
the  water,  and  generally  in  all  out-of-the-way  places.  A 
dinner  at  Parker's  or  Delmonico's  is  not  to  be  compared 
with  baked  potatoes  and  roasted  ears  of  corn  in  the  woods, 
or  with  fried  fish  and  potatoes  in  a  boat  or  on  an  island. 
The  young  pilot  was  no  exception  to  the  common  rule,  and 
in  a  state  of  rapture  known  only  to  the  amateur  cook  of 
tender  years,  he  put  on  the  teakettle,  pared  and  sliced  the 
potatoes,  and  put  a  quantity  of  the  brown  mud  from  the 
canister  into  the  coffeepot. 

Things  were  hissing  and  sizzling  on  the  stove  in  the  most 
satisfactory  manner,  and  Lawry  presided  over  the  frying- 
pan  with  a  grace  and  dignity  which  would  have  been  edify 
ing  in  a  professional  cook.  While  the  ham  was  cooking,  he 
wiped  the  dishes  with  a  cloth  he  had  dried  at  the  fire,  and 
set  the  table  on  the  broad  bench  at  the  end  of  the  kitchen. 
The  meat  and  the  potatoes  were  "  done  to  a  turn,"  but  the 
coffee  had  a  suspicious  look,  owing  to  the  absence  of  the  fish- 
skin,  or  other  ingredient,  for  settling  it.  The  contents  of 
the  basket  brought  from  home  were  tastily  disposed  in 
dishes  on  the  table,  and  breakfast  was  ready.  We  will  ven 
ture  to  say  that,  in  spite  of  the  disadvantages  under  which 
this  meal  was  prepared,  many  steamboat  men  have  sat  down 
to  a  less  satisfactory  banquet. 

Lawry,  chuckling  with  delight  at  what  he  had  done,  rang 
the  hand-bell  he  found  in  the  kitchen,  at  the  door.  If  Ethan 


86  Haste  and  Waste 

had  smelled  the  savory  viands  in  the  course  of  preparation 
for  him,  he  had  made  no  sign ;  but  he  was  probably  too  busy 
to  heed  anything  but  the  darling  engine  he  was  so  affec 
tionately  caressing  with  handfuls  of  packing  and  spurts  of 
oil. 

"What's  that  bell  for,  Lawry?"  shouted  he. 

"  Breakfast's  ready,"  replied  Lawry. 

"  I  wouldn't  stop  to  eat  now — would  you  ?  " 

"  Things  will  be  cold  if  you  don't." 

"Cold?"  laughed  Ethan. 

"  Yes — cold.  What's  the  use  of  having  a  kitchen  if  you 
don't  use  it?" 

"  You're  a  good  one !  "  shouted  Ethan.  "  Why  didn't 
you  tell  me  what  you  were  about  ?  " 

"  I  didn't  want  to  spoil  your  appetite." 

"  You  are  a  first-rate  fellow,  Lawry.  Your  breakfast 
looks  tip-top,  and  I  shall  do  full  justice  to  it ;  but  I  must 
go  and  look  at  the  boiler  and  the  fires  before  I  eat." 

They  sat  down  to  breakfast  when  Ethan  had  returned 
and  washed  the  smut  from  his  face  and  hands.  Lawry 
poured  out  the  coffee,  and  helped  his  companion  to  ham 
and  potatoes.  The  engineer  ate  with  good  relish. 

"  Your  ham  and  potatoes  are  first-rate,  Lawry ;  but  I've 
seen  better  coffee  than  this,"  said  he. 

"  I  had  nothing  to  settle  it,  and  there  is  no  milk  on 
board." 

"  We  had  some  fish-skin,  and  there  is  plenty  of  condensed 
milk  on  board,"  replied  Ethan. 

The  coffee  was  subjected  to  a  new  process,  and  the  con 
densed  milk  prepared  for  use.  By  the  time  the  substantials 
of  the  feast  had  been  discussed,  some  pretty  good  coffee  was 
ready  for  them.  The  boys  ate  their  breakfast  with  a  zest 
they  had  never  known  before. 

"  Ethan !  "  exclaimed  Lawry. 

"What,  Lawry?" 

"  Hold  me  down !  "  shouted  the  proprietor  of  the  Wood- 
tnlle. 

"  What's  the  matter?  " 


Haste  and  Waste  87 

"  Hold  me  down !  I  shall  go  up  if  you  don't.  I  can't 
hold  in  any  longer.  I'm  so  tickled,  I  feel  as  though  I 
should  fly  away." 

"  Don't  do  it,"  laughed  Ethan.  "  But  I  must  go  and 
look  after  the  engine,  or  we  may  both  go  up,  in  a  way  that 
won't  suit  us ;  "  and  Ethan  hurried  down  into  the  fire-room. 

After  taking  a  turn  up  and  down  the  deck,  Lawry  curbed 
down  his  superfluous  enthusiasm,  and  returned  to  the 
kitchen,  where  he  extinguished  the  fire  in  the  galley,  and 
put  away  the  dishes  and  kettles  which  had  been  used  in  get 
ting  breakfast.  By  this  time  Ethan  had  finished  his  work 
on  the  engine,  and  the  steam  gage  indicated  a  sufficient 
pressure  to  work  the  machinery. 

"  All  ready,  Lawry !  "  shouted  he. 

"  Is  everything  all  right?  " 

"  Yes,  as  good  as  new.  Now,  if  you  will  go  into  the 
wheel-house,  we  will  see  what  she  will  do." 

"  Hurrah !  "  shouted  Lawry. 

He  pulled  the  bell  for  starting  her,  and  with  a  thrill  of 
delight  he  heard  the  wheels  splashing  in  the  water ;  and  the 
great  splurges  began  to  roll  up  on  the  shore. 

"  Does  she  move?  "  asked  Ethan,  through  the  speaking- 
tube  which  communicated  with  the  engine-room. 

"  No,  she  sticks  fast,"  replied  Lawry.  "  Give  her  a  little 
more  of  it." 

The  wheels  of  the  steamer  turned  rapidly  for  a  moment, 
and  the  Woodville  slid  off  the  ground  into  deep  water. 

"  Hurrah !  "  shouted  Lawry,  as  he  rang  the  bell  to  stop 
her.  "  She's  all  right  now,"  he  added,  through  the  tube. 

"  Go  ahead,  then,"  replied  the  engineer. 

"  As  soon  as  I  make  fast  the  wherry  astern." 

Before  he  went  to  the  wheel-house  he  sounded  the  pumps 
again,  and  visited  the  forehold  to  examine  the  oilcloth  over 
the  aperture  in  the  bow.  There  was  but  little  water  in  the 
well,  and  the  canvas  carpet  was  faithful  to  its  duty.  There 
was  nothing  to  fear,  though  Lawry  couldn't  help  fearing. 

"  Are  you  all  ready,  Ethan  ?  "  called  the  pilot  through 
the  tube. 


88  Haste  and  Waste 

"  All  ready ;  but  don't  you  think  we  had  better  hoist  the 
flags,  and  go  over  in  good  style?  "  responded  the  engineer. 

"  Aye,  aye." 

The  small  American  flag  and  the  union  jack,  which  had 
been  taken  from  the  poles  the  night  before,  and  deposited 
in  the  locker  of  the  wherry,  were  displayed,  and  Lawry  re 
turned  to  his  post. 

The  pilot  rang  his  bell  to  start,  and  the  wheels  turned 
slowly  as  Ethan  opened  the  valve.  The  Woodville  moved 
off  from  the  shore,  and  Lawry's  heart  bounded  as  though  it 
had  been  part  of  the  engine.  He  grasped  the  spokes,  and 
heaved  the  wheel  over ;  the  beautiful  craft  obeyed  her  helm. 

"  Hurrah !  hurrah !  hurrah !  "  shouted  Lawry,  at  the 
mouth  of  the  speaking-tube. 

"  Hurrah !  hurrah !  hurrah !  "  echoed  back  from  the  en 
gine-room. 

Lawry  stood  at  the  wheel,  looking  through  the  open  win 
dow  in  front  of  him.  It  was  his  hour  of  triumph.  As  he 
gazed  at  the  shore,  he  saw  the  ferry-boat  start  out  from 
the  landing.  There  was  no  vehicle  in  her,  and  as  the 
steamer  approached  nearer  to  her,  he  saw  that  Mr.  Sher 
wood  and  the  ladies  were  on  board  of  her.  They  were  com 
ing  out  to  welcome  and  congratulate  Ethan  and  himself 
upon  the  triumphant  success  of  the  enterprise.  Mrs.  Wil- 
ford  was  with  them,  and  Ben  held  the  steering  oar. 

Lawry  informed  his  friend,  through  the  tube,  of  the  ap 
proach  of  the  party.  The  ladies  in  the  ferry-boat  were 
waving  their  handkerchiefs,  and  Mr.  Sherwood  was  swing 
ing  his  hat. 

"  Whistle,  Lawry !  "  shouted  the  engineer,  as  the  pilot 
informed  him  what  was  taking  place. 

"  Hurrah !  "  shouted  the  pilot,  as  he  pulled  the  string. 

As  the  Woodville  came  up  to  the  bateau,  Lawry  rang  to 
stop,  and,  swinging  his  hat  out  the  window,  gave  three 
cheers  all  alone,  while  the  ladies  waved  their  handkerchiefs 
in  reply. 


Haste  and  Waste  89 


CHAPTER    XIV 

CAPTAIN    LAWRY 

THE  bateau  ran  up  to  the  steamer,  and  Ben  made  her 
fast  at  the  forward  gangway.  Mr.  Sherwood  still  cheered, 
and  the  ladies  continued  to  wave  their  handkerchiefs. 

"  Won't  you  come  on  board  ?  "  said  Lawry  to  the  party. 

"  I  shall,  for  one,"  replied  Mr.  Sherwood. 

*'  I'm  afraid  of  her,"  added  Miss  Fanny. 

"  There  is  nothing  to  fear,  ladies.  She  is  safe,  and  we 
are  running  her  very  slowly,"  continued  the  young  pilot. 

"  Lawry  knows  where  the  rocks  are,"  said  Mrs.  Wilford, 
"  and  I'll  warrant  you  there  is  no  danger." 

With  some  misgivings,  the  ladies,  who  had  suffered  by 
the  catastrophe  when  the  Woodville  was  wrecked,  permitted 
themselves  to  be  handed  to  the  deck  of  the  steamer. 

"  I  congratulate  you  on  your  success,  Lawry,"  said  Mr. 
Sherwood,  as  he  stepped  on  board  after  the  ladies.  "  You 
have  worked  bravely,  and  succeeded  nobly ; "  and  he 
grasped  the  hand  of  the  pilot. 

"  Thank  you,  sir.  I  knew  I  could  raise  her,  if  I  had  fair 
play.  I  don't  know  but  you  are  sick  of  your  bargain,  sir, 
in  giving  her  to  me." 

"  By  no  means,  Captain  Lawry,"  replied  the  rich  man, 
laughing.  "  If  the  ladies  succeed  in  overcoming  their  terror 
of  steamboats,  I  suppose  I  can  charter  the  boat  for  our 
party  when  we  wish  to  use  her." 

"  She's  at  your  service  always,  sir,"  replied  Lawry. 

"  Oh,  I  shall  take  her  on  the  same  terms  that  others  do. 
When  I  use  her,  I  shall  pay  you." 

"  That  wouldn't  be  fair,  sir.  I  couldn't  take  any  money 
from  you  for  the  use  of  her,"  added  Lawry,  blushing. 

"  We  will  not  talk  about  that  now.  When  she  is  in  con 
dition  for  use,  we  will  consider  these  questions.  How  did 
you  find  her  this  morning?  "  asked  Mr.  Sherwood,  with  a 
mischievous  twinkle  in  his  eye. 


90  Haste  and  Waste 

"  We  found  the  water  all  pumped  out  of  her ;  and  we 
didn't  know  what  to  make  of  it,"  answered  Lawry. 

All  the  visitors  burst  out  laughing,  and  heartily  enjoyed 
the  astonishment  and  confusion  of  the  young  pilot. 

"  I  don't  understand  it,"  exclaimed  Lawry. 

"  The  fairies,  knowing  what  a  good  boy  you  are,  Lawry, 
must  have  pumped  her  out  for  you,"  said  Miss  Fanny. 

"  Perhaps  they  did." 

Mr.  Sherwood  then  explained  what  he  had  done  the  pre 
ceding  night,  and  the  reason  why  he  had  done  it.  Ben 
Wilford,  after  fastening  the  ferry-boat  at  the  stern  of  the 
steamer,  had  come  on  deck,  and  listened  to  the  explanation. 
He  saw  in  what  manner  his  malice  had  been  defeated,  and 
he  looked  very  much  dissatisfied  with  himself  and  everybody 
on  board. 

"  You  were  very  kind,  Mr.  Sherwood,  to  take  so  much 
trouble  upon  yourself,"  said  Lawry. 

"  It  was  no  trouble  at  all ;  it  was  a  great  pleasure  to  me. 
But  I  don't  understand  how  the  steamer  happened  to  be  on 
the  other  side  of  the  lake." 

"  I  supposed  the  persons  who  bailed  her  out  set  her 
adrift.  The  casks  were  all  knocked  out  from  under  the 
guards,  and  they  are  scattered  all  along  the  shore." 

"  Before  my  men  left  her  last  night,  I  went  all  over  the 
boat  to  satisfy  myself  that  everything  was  right.  I  exam 
ined  the  cables  very  carefully,  and  I  am  sure  they  were  well 
stoppered  at  twelve  o'clock,  when  we  went  on  shore." 

"  I  fastened  the  cable  myself,  and  I  don't  think  she  could 
have  broken  loose  herself." 

Ben  Wilford  listened  in  sullen  silence  to  this  conversa 
tion,  and  his  mother  could  hardly  keep  from  crying  as  she 
thought  of  the  guilt  of  her  oldest  son.  She  was  not  willing 
to  tell  Lawry  what  his  brother  had  done,  fearful  that  his 
indignation  would  produce  a  quarrel  where  brotherly  love 
should  prevail.  She  believed  that  Ben  had  attempted,  while 
under  the  influence  of  liquor,  to  sink  the  Woodville,  and 
that  he  would  not  do  such  a  thing  in  his  sober  senses. 

Neither  Lawry  nor  Mr.  Sherwood  could  explain  in  what 


Haste  and  Waste  91 

manner  the  steamer  had  broken  from  her  moorings  and  the 
oil-casks  been  removed  from  their  fastenings ;  so  they  were 
obliged  to  drop  the  matter.,  congratulating  themselves  upon 
the  present  safety  of  the  boat. 

"  We  will  go  ashore  with  you,  Captain  Lawry,  when  you 
are  ready,"  said  Mr.  Sherwood,  after  the  question  had  been 
disposed  of  in  this  unsatisfactory  manner. 

"  Captain  Lawry !  "  sneered  Ben. 

"  Certainly ;  he  is  the  captain  of  the  steamer — isn't  he?  " 
laughed  Mr.  Sherwood. 

"  It  sounds  big  for  a  boy,"  growled  Ben. 

"  He  will  make  a  good  captain." 

Ben  turned  and  walked  away,  disgusted  with  the  idea. 

"  I'm  ready,  sir,"  said  Lawry. 

"  Where  are  you  bound  next,  Captain  Lawry  ?  "  asked 
Mr.  Shrewood. 

"  I'm  going  to  fish  up  the  anchors  we  lost,  and  then  to 
pick  up  the  oil-casks,"  replied  Lawry. 

"  Where  do  you  intend  to  keep  your  steamer  ?  " 

"  I  hadn't  thought  of  that,  sir." 

"  You  will  need  a  wharf." 

"  We  need  one ;  but  I  think  we  shall  have  to  get  along 
without  one." 

"  Where  would  be  a  good  place  to  have  one  ?  " 

"  The  deepest  water  is  just  below  the  ferry-landing.  We 
could  get  depth  enough  for  this  boat  by  running  a  pier  out 
about  forty  feet.  Ethan  and  I  can  build  some  kind  of  a 
wharf,  when  we  have  time." 

Mr.  Sherwood  said  no  more  about  the  matter,  and  Ben 
landed  the  visitors  in  the  ferry-boat.  The  Woodville  then 
ran  down  to  the  Goblins,  and  towed  the  raft  out  to  the  spot 
where  the  anchors  lay.  A  boat  grapnel  was  dragged  over 
the  spot,  the  cables  hooked,  and  the  anchors  hauled  up  with 
the  derrick  on  the  raft,  from  which  they  were  transferred 
to  the  steamer. 

Having  obtained  these  necessary  appendages  of  the 
steamer,  they  returned  to  the  landing  for  the  ferry-boat, 
in  which  they  intended  to  load  the  oil-casks,  and  convey 


92  Haste  and  Waste 

them  to  Pointville.  Ben  was  at  the  landing  when  she  ar 
rived,  and  without  any  invitation,  stepped  on  board  the 
ferry-boat,  and  thence  to  the  steamer. 

"Don't  you  want  some  help,  Lawry?"  asked  Ben. 

"  Yes ;  we  should  be  glad  of  all  the  help  we  can  get," 
replied  Lawry  pleasantly. 

"  Well,  I'll  help  you." 

"  We  have  a  good  deal  of  hard  work  to  do  to-day,"  added 
the  pilot.  "  I  would  like  to  get  the  boat  on  the  ways  at 
Port  Henry  to-night." 

"  That  can  be  done  easy  enough." 

Ben  Wilford  seemed  now  to  have  adopted  a  conciliatory 
policy,  but  it  was  evidently  done  for  a  purpose.  When  the 
Woodville  reached  the  Goblins,  he  worked  with  good  will  in 
loading  the  ferry-boat,  which  was  towed  over  to  Pointville, 
and  her  cargo  discharged.  The  casks,  which  had  drifted 
over  to  the  eastern  shore  of  the  lake,  were  then  picked  up, 
and  landed  at  the  same  place.  The  man  who  had  carted 
them  down  to  the  shore  was  engaged  to  convey  them  back 
to  the  barn  of  the  oil  speculator.  It  was  noon  by  the  time 
this  work  was  all  accomplished;  and  the  Woodville  again 
crossed  the  lake,  and  came  to  anchor  in  the  deep  water  above 
the  ferry-landing,  as  close  to  the  shore  as  it  was  prudent 
for  her  to  lie.  Ethan  banked  his  fires,  and  the  boys  went  on 
shore  to  dinner,  one  at  a  time;  for  after  the  experience  of 
the  preceding  night  they  would  not  leave  the  steamer  alone 
for  a  single  moment. 

After  dinner,  Mr.  Sherwood,  who  appeared  to  be  as 
much  interested  in  the  little  steamer  as  though  she  had  not 
changed  her  ownership,  came  on  board  again,  accompanied 
by  the  ladies.  It  had  before  been  decided  that  the  carpets 
should  be  taken  up,  the  muslin  curtains  removed,  and  such 
portions  of  the  furniture  and  utensils  as  had  been  injured 
by  the  water  should  be  conveyed  on  shore  to  be  cleaned,  and 
put  in  proper  order  for  use.  In  this  labor  Mr.  Sherwood's 
party  and  Mrs.  Wilford  assisted,  and  by  the  middle  of  the 
afternoon  everything  had  been  removed.  Ben  Wilford  aided 
very  zealously,  and  his  mother  hopefully  concluded  that  he 


Haste  and  Waste  93 

was  sorry  for  what  he  intended  to  do,  and  wished  to  remove 
any  suspicion  of  evil  intentions  on  his  part. 

The  Woodville  was  now  going  down  to  Port  Henry, 
where  the  repairs  on  her  hull  were  to  be  made,  and  the  pilot 
and  engineer  were  to  remain  on  board.  Ben  promised  faith 
fully  to  run  the  ferry  during  Lawry's  absence ;  and,  cheered 
by  the  party  on  the  shore,  the  Woodville  departed  for  her 
destination.  She  ran  at  half  speed,  but  reached  the  port 
before  sunset.  The  next  morning  she  went  on  the  ways, 
and  her  repairs  commenced.  During  that  time  Ethan  was 
constantly  employed  on  the  engine,  and  when  the  steamer 
was  restored  to  her  native  element  there  was  not  a  suspicion 
of  rust  on  the  machinery. 

Lawry  was  also  as  busy  as  a  bee  all  the  time,  scrubbing 
the  floors,  cleaning  the  paint,  and  polishing  the  brass-work. 
When  the  boat  was  ready  to  return  to  Port  Rock,  she  was 
in  condition  to  receive  her  furniture.  She  was  launched 
early  in  the  morning,  and  Ethan  proceeded  at  once  to  get 
up  steam.  Both  of  the  boys  were  in  the  highest  state  of 
expectancy  and  delight ;  and  when  Lawry  struck  the  bell  to 
start  her,  he  was  hardly  less  excited  than  when  he  had  done 
so  for  the  first  time  after  the  water  had  been  pumped  out 
of  her.  All  the  bunting  was  displayed  at  the  bow  and 
stern,  and  the  Woodville  now  plowed  the  lake  at  full  speed. 
Her  happy  owner  realized  that  she  was  good  for  ten  miles 
an  hour,  which,  for  so  diminutive  a  craft,  was  more  than  he 
had  a  right  to  expect. 

"  Hello !  "  shouted  Lawry  to  himself,  as  the  steamer  ap 
proached  the  ferry -landing ;  "  what's  that  ?  " 

In  the  deep  water  which  the  young  pilot  had  indicated 
as  the  best  place  for  a  wharf,  a  pier  was  in  process  of  erec 
tion.  A  score  of  bridge-builders  were  sawing,  hammering, 
and  chopping,  and  Mr.  Sherwood  stood  in  their  midst, 
watching  their  operations.  The  structure  was  not  com 
plete,  but  the  mooring  posts  were  set  up,  so  that  the  Wood 
ville  could  be  made  fast  to  them.  Mr.  Sherwood  and  the 
workmen  gave  three  cheers  as  the  steamer  approached. 

"  Run  her  up  here,  Lawry !  "  shouted  his  wealthy  friend. 
J7 


94  Haste  and  Waste 

"  Aye,  aye,  sir." 

"  You  have  taken  this  job  out  of  my  hands,  sir,"  said 
Lawry,  as  he  glanced  at  the  wharf. 

"  Yes ;  I  thought  I  could  do  it  better  than  you  could,  as 
your  time  will  be  fully  occupied." 

"  I  think  I  should  have  found  time  enough  to  do  what  I 
intended ;  but  of  course  I  couldn't  have  built  any  such  wharf 
as  this." 

"  It  is  none  too  good." 

"  But  I  ought  to  pay  for  it  out  of  the  money  I  may  earn 
with  the  boat." 

"  Never  mind  that,  Lawry,"  added  Mr.  Sherwood. 

The  young  captain  explained  what  had  been  done  during 
his  absence,  and  informed  his  interested  friend  that  the 
steamer  was  in  condition  to  receive  her  furniture. 

"  Shall  you  have  her  ready  for  a  trip  by  to-morrow  ?  " 
asked  Mr.  Sherwood. 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Because  I  have  taken  the  liberty  to  engage  her,  in  your 
name,  for  several  parties." 

"  You  are  very  kind,  sir,"  replied  Lawry. 

"  Have  you  fixed  upon  any  price  for  her  ?  " 

"  Ethan  and  I  were  talking  over  the  matter.  We  shall 
need  some  help  on  board,  and  that  will  cost  money.  Coal  is 
pretty  high  up  here  on  the  lake." 

"  Weil,  how  much  did  you  intend  to  charge  for  her  by 
the  day,  or  the  hour  ?  " 

"  We  thought  about  three  dollars  an  hour,"  replied 
Lawry,  with  much  diffidence. 

"  Three  dollars  an  hour !  You  are  too  modest  by  half," 
laughed  Mr.  Sherwood.  "  Make  it  five,  at  least.  I  told  the 
parties  I  engaged  for  you  that  the  price  would  not  be  less 
than  fifty  dollars  a  day." 

"  I'm  afraid  I  shall  make  money  too  fast  at  that  rate," 
added  Lawry. 

"  No,  you  won't.  It  will  cost  a  great  deal  of  money  to 
run  the  boat.  What  do  you  pay  your  engineer?  " 

"  I  don't  know,  sir ;  we  have  made  no  bargain  yet." 


Haste  and  Waste  95 

"  If  Ethan  does  a  man's  work,  you  must  pay  him  a  man's 
wages.  I  suppose  he  wants  to  make  his  fortune." 

"  What  do  you  think  he  ought  to  have  ?  "  asked  Lawry . 

"  Three  dollars  a  day,"  replied  Mr.  Sherwood  promptly. 
"  I  dare  say  Ethan  would  not  charge  you  half  so  much ; 
but  that  is  about  the  wages  of  a  man  for  running  an  engine 
in  these  times." 

"  I  am  satisfied,  if  that  is  fair  wages ;  though  it  is  a  great 
deal  more  than  I  ever  made." 

"  Engineers  get  high  wages.    Then  you  want  a  fireman." 

"  I  can  get  a  boy,  who  will  answer  very  well  for  a  fire 
man." 

"  I  think  not,  Lawry.  You  need  a  man  of  experience 
and  judgment.  He  can  save  his  wages  for  you  in  coal. 
The  man  whom  I  employed  as  a  fireman  is  just  the  person, 
and  he  is  at  the  village  now." 

"  What  must  I  pay  him,  sir?  " 

"  Two  dollars  a  day.  Then  your  parties  will  want  some 
dinner  on  board,  and  you  will  need  a  cook,  and  two  stewards. 
A  woman  to  do  the  cooking,  and  two  girls  to  tend  the 
table,  will  answer  your  purpose.  You  can  obtain  the  three 
for  about  seven  dollars  a  week;  but  your  passengers  must 
pay  extra  for  their  meals,  and  you  need  not  charge  the  ex 
penses  of  the  steward's  department  to  the  boat." 

"  If  you  expect  to  succeed,  Lawry,  you  must  do  your 
work  well.  Your  boat  must  be  safe  and  comfortable,  and 
your  dinners  nice  and  well  served.  You  will  want  two 
deck-hands.  Your  expenses,  including  coal,  oil  for  ma 
chinery,  and  hands,  will  be  about  twenty  dollars  a  day. 
If  you  add  repairs,  of  which  steamboats  are  continually  in 
need,  you  will  run  it  up  to  twenty-five  dollars  a  day." 

"  That  will  leave  me  a  profit  of  twenty-five  dollars  a 
day,"  added  Lawry,  delighted  at  the  thought. 

"  If  you  are  employed  every  day,  it  will ;  but  you  cannot 
expect  to  do  anything  with  parties  for  more  than  two 
months  in  the  year." 

"  I  can  get  some  towing  to  do ;  and  I  may  make  some 
thing  with  passengers." 


<)6  Haste  and  Waste 

"  Parties  will  pay  best  in  July  and  August,  and  perhaps 
part  of  September ;  but  you  must  be  wide-awake." 

"  I  intend  to  be." 

"  I  advise  you  to  get  up  a  handbill  of  your  steamer,  an 
nouncing  that  she  is  to  be  let  to  parties  by  the  day,  at  all 
the  large  ports  on  the  lake.  There  are  plenty  of  wealthy 
people,  spending  the  summer  in  this  vicinity,  who  would  be 
glad  to  engage  her,  even  for  a  week  at  once." 

"  Will  you  write  me  a  handbill,  Mr.  Sherwood  ?  " 

"  Yes,  and  get  it  printed." 

"  Thank  you,  sir." 

"  The  Woodville  is  engaged  to  me  for  to-morrow,"  added 
Mr.  Sherwood. 


CHAPTER    XV 

THE    NEW    CAPTAIN 

LAWRY  was  bewildered  by  the  magnificence  of  the  ar 
rangements  suggested  by  Mr.  Sherwood ;  but  if  the  Wood 
ville  was  to  be  employed  in  taking  out  parties  of  genteel 
people,  nothing  less  magnificent  would  answer  the  purpose. 
His  influential  friend,  it  appeared,  had  already  exerted 
himself  to  procure  employment  of  this  kind  for  the  steamer, 
and  the  proprietor  of  the  beautiful  craft  was  not  only  will 
ing  to  conform  to  his  ideas,  but  was  grateful  for  the  kindly 
interest  he  manifested  in  the  prosperity  of  the  enterprise. 

Mrs.  Wilford  had  engaged  a  cook,  and  two  girls  for 
the  steward's  department;  the  fireman  was  sent  for;  and 
two  boys  were  employed  as  deck-hands. 

Now,  Lawry  thought  it  was  quite  necessary  that  his  crew 
should  be  trained  a  little  before  any  passengers  were  re 
ceived  on  board,  and  after  Mr.  Sherwood  and  his  party  had 
gone  home,  the  fires  were  revived,  and  a  short  trip  down  the 
lake  determined  upon.  As  soon  as  there  was  steam  enough 
for  the  purpose,  the  pilot,  now  the  captain,  rang  his  bell  to 
back  her,  and  the  deck-hands  were  instructed  in  getting 
the  fasts  on  board.  Ben  Wilford,  who  was  standing  on  the 


Haste  and  Waste  97 

wharf,  cast  off  the  hawsers,  and  then  jumped  aboard,  him 
self.  The  bells  jingled  for  a  few  moments,  and  then  the 
Woodville  went  off  on  her  course. 

"  This  is  all  very  fine,"  said  Ben. 

"  First-rate,"  laughed  Lawry. 

"  What  am  I  to  do  ?  "  demanded  Ben,  rather  gruffly. 

"You?"  said  the  pilot. 

"  Everybody  seems  to  have  something  to  do  with  her  ex 
cept  me." 

"  What  do  you  want  to  do  ?  " 

"  I  suppose  you  think  I'm  not  fit  for  anything." 

"  I  had  an  idea  that  you  would  stay  at  home,  and  run  the 
ferry-boat." 

"  Did  you?  "  sneered  Ben. 

"  Some  one  must  do  that ;  and  of  course  I  can't  now." 

"  Hang  the  ferry-boat !  " 

"  It  must  be  run,  or  we  shall  forfeit  the  privilege." 

"  I  shall  not  run  it,  whatever  happens." 

"  I  don't  see  how  I  can." 

"  Lawry,  I  don't  think  you  are  using  me  right,"  added 
Ben  sourly. 

"  Why,  what  have  I  done?  " 

"  You've  got  this  boat,  and  though  you  know  I'm  a 
steamboat  man,  you  don't  say  a  word  to  me  about  taking 
any  position  on  board  of  her." 

"  I  don't  know  what  position  there  is  on  board  for  you, 
unless  you  take  a  deck-hand's  place." 

"  A  deck-hand !  " 

*'  That  is  what  you  have  always  been." 

"  Do  you  think  I'm  going  to  be  bossed  by  you?  " 

"  Ben,  if  you  will  tell  me  just  what  you  want,  I  shall 
understand  you  better,"  said  Lawry,  rather  impatiently. 

"  You  know  what  I  want.  There  is  only  one  place  in  the 
boat  I  would  be  willing  to  take." 

"  You  mean  captain." 

"  Of  course  I  do." 

"  I  intended  to  be  captain  myself." 

"  I  thought  you  were  going  to  be  pilot  of  her." 


98  Haste  and  Waste 

"  So  I  am ;  and  captain,  too." 

"  Then  you  mean  to  leave  me  out  entirely." 

"  Ben,  I  don't  want  to  have  any  row ;  and  I  won't  quar 
rel  with  my  brother ;  but  I  don't  think  it  is  quite  fair  for 
you  to  ask  so  much  of  me." 

"  Don't  I  know  all  about  a  steamboat  ?  " 

"  Can  you  pilot  one  up  and  down  the  lake?  " 

"  Well,  no ;  I  never  did  that  kind  of  work." 

"  Can  you  run  an  engine  ?  " 

"  No ;  and  you  can't,  either.  The  captain  doesn't  have 
to  be  a  pilot,  nor  an  engineer." 

"  What  must  he  do,  then?  " 

"  He  must  look  out  for  everything,  make  the  landing, 
and  see  that  the  people  on  board  are  comfortable." 

"  I  intend  to  do  all  that." 

"  How  can  you  do  it,  and  stay  in  the  wheel-house  ?  " 

"  I  shall  not  stay  there  all  the  time.  The  deck-hands 
know  how  to  steer.  I  want  to  do  what's  fair  and  right, 
Ben.  The  steamer  was  given  to  me;  and  I  don't  exactly 
like  to  have  any  one  to  boss  me  on  board." 

"  The  captain  don't  have  much  to  do  with  the  pilot,  and 
I  sha'n't  boss  you." 

"  Suppose  the  question  should  come  up,  whether  or  not 
the  boat  should  take  a  certain  job;  who  would  decide  the 
question — you  or  I?  " 

"  I'm  the  oldest,  and  I  think  I  ought  to  have  the  biggest 
voice  in  the  matter." 

"  But  the  boat  is  mine,"  added  Lawry,  with  emphasis. 

"  As  to  that,  she  is  just  as  much  mine  as  she  is  yours." 

"  I'm  willing  to  do  what's  fair  and  right ;  but  I  shall  not 
have  any  captain  over  me  in  this  boat,"  replied  Lawry. 

"  Lawry,  you  are  my  brother,"  said  Ben  angrily ;  "  but 
I  don't  care  for  that.  You  set  yourself  up  above  me;  you 
make  me  a  nobody.  I  won't  stand  it !  " 

"  I  don't  set  myself  up  above  you,  Ben." 

"  Yes,  you  do.    You  offered  me  the  place  of  deck-hand !  " 

"  I  didn't  ask  you  to  take  any  place.  I'll  tell  you  what 
I  will  do,  Ben.  I'll  talk  with  mother  and  Mr.  Sherwood 


Haste  and  Waste  99 

about  the  matter,  and  if  they  think  you  ought  to  be  captain 
of  the  Woodville,  you  shall  be." 

"  Mr.  Sherwood  don't  know  everything." 

"  I  think  he  would  know  what  is  right  in  a  case  like  this." 

"  He  thinks  you  are  a  little  god,  and  I  know  what  he 
would  say." 

"  I  will  do  as  mother  says,  then." 

"  What  do  women  know  about  these  things  ?  " 

"  I  don't  think  Mr.  Sherwood  or  mother  would  like  it 
if  I  should  give  up  the  command  of  this  boat  to  any  one." 

"  Let  them  lump  it,  then,"  replied  Ben,  as  he  rushed  out 
of  the  wheel-house,  incensed  beyond  measure  at  Lawry's 
opposition  to  his  unreasonable  proposal. 

Captain  Lawry  was  sorely  disturbed  by  the  conduct  of 
his  brother.  He  could  not  enjoy  his  pleasant  position  at 
the  wheel,  and  he  put  the  steamer  about,  heading  her  to 
ward  Port  Rock. 

"  Lawry,"  said  Ben,  returning  to  the  wheel-house,  "  I 
want  you  to  tell  me  what  you  are  going  to  do.  I'm  older 
than  you,  and  I  have  seen  more  steamboating  than  you 
have.  I  think  it's  my  right  to  be  captain  of  this  boat." 

"  I  don't  think  so." 

"  I  don't  want  to  jaw  any  more  about  it." 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't." 

"  All  I've  got  to  say  is,  that  if  I  don't  run  this  boat  no 
one  will." 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  that,  Ben  ?  "  demanded  Lawry. 

"  No  matter  what  I  mean.  I'm  going  to  have  what  be 
longs  to  me.  Once  for  all,  am  I  to  be  captain,  or  not  ?  " 

"  No,"  replied  Lawry  firmly. 

Ben  went  out  of  the  wheel-house,  and  the  pilot  did  not 
see  him  again  till  after  the  Woodville  reached  her  wharf. 
Lawry  was  sadly  grieved  at  the  attitude  of  his  brother; 
and  if  Ben  had  been  a  reliable  person,  fit  for  the  position 
he  aspired  to  obtain,  he  would  have  yielded  the  point.  But 
the  would-be  captain  was  an  intemperate  and  dissolute  fel 
low,  as  unsuitable  for  the  command  as  he  would  have  been 
for  the  presidency  of  a  bank. 


loo  Haste  and  Waste 

Early  on  the  following  morning  the  supplies  for  the 
Woodville  were  taken  on  board,  and  at  eight  o'clock  every 
thing  was  in  readiness  for  the  reception  of  Mr.  Sherwood's 
party.  The  steam  was  merrily  hissing  from  the  escape- 
pipe  ;  Ethan  was  busy,  as  he  always  was,  in  rubbing  down 
the  polished  parts  of  the  engine,  and  Lawry  was  walking 
up  and  down  the  forward  deck.  Quite  a  collection  of  peo 
ple  had  assembled  on  the  unfinished  wharf  and  the  shore  to 
witness  the  departure  of  the  steamer.  As  Captain  Lawry 
paced  the  deck,  there  was  a  slight  commotion  in  the  crowd, 
and  three  persons  passed  through,  making  their  way  to  the 
deck.  One  of  them  was  the  sheriff  who  had  arrested  the 
ferryman  a  few  days  before.  He  was  followed  by  Mr.  Tay 
lor,  his  father's  creditor,  and  Ben  Wilford. 

"  I'm  sorry  to  trouble  you,  Lawry,"  said  the  official ; 
"  but  I  suppose  I  must  do  my  duty." 

"  What's  the  matter,  sir  ?  "  asked  Lawry.  "  What  have 
I  done?" 

"  Nothing,  my  boy.  I  think  this  is  rather  mean  busi 
ness;  but  I  can't  help  it,"  replied  the  sheriff,  as  he  pro 
duced  certain  documents.  "  Your  father  owes  Mr.  Taylor 
a  note  of  nine  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  on  which  the  in 
terest  has  not  been  paid  for  two  years,  making  the  debt 
ten  hundred  and  sixty-four  dollars." 

"  But  the  place  is  mortgaged  for  that,"  replied  Lawry. 

"  I  have  just  foreclosed  the  mortgage;  and  now  I  must 
attach  this  steamboat." 

"  Attach  it !  "  groaned  Lawry. 

"  Such  are  my  orders ;  your  father's  place  would  hardly 
sell  for  enough  to  pay  the  debt." 

"  But  this  boat  is  mine,"  pleaded  Lawry. 

"  You  are  a  minor,  Lawry ;  and  your  father  is  entitled 
by  law  to  all  your  earnings,  as  you  have  a  claim  on  him 
for  your  support.  I  can't  stop  to  explain  this  matter. 
The  steamer  is  in  my  possession  now,  subject  to  the  decree 
of  the  court.  I  shall  appoint  a  person  to  take  charge  of 
her  and  run  her  for  the  benefit  of  the  parties  in  interest." 

"  That's  too  bad !  "  exclaimed  Lawry. 


Haste  and  Waste  101 

"  I  know  it  is ;  but  I  can't  help  it,"  replied  the  sheriff. 
"  I  shall  appoint  your  brother,  and  from  this  time  he  has 
full  control  of  her." 

It  was  evident  even  to  Lawry,  who  had  not  been  informed 
of  his  brother's  worst  intentions,  that  Ben  was  at  the  bot 
tom  of  this  conspiracy.  Such  was  indeed  the  truth.  Mr. 
Taylor  was  a  young  man  who  had  recently  inherited  a  large 
fortune,  which,  it  was  plain,  would  soon  be  squandered,  for 
he  was  both  intemperate  and  reckless.  Ben  had  helped  him 
home  one  night  after  a  drunken  carousal,  which  had  been 
the  beginning  of  an  intimacy  between  them,  for  the 
younger  tippler  was  not  one  to  neglect  an  opportunity  to 
secure  a  wealthy  friend. 

They  had  talked  together  about  the  Woodville  on  sev 
eral  occasions,  and  Ben  had  suggested  in  what  manner  he 
might  obtain  the  debt  due  him.  On  the  night  before  the 
visit  of  the  sheriff  to  the  steamer,  the  malignant  and  jealous 
brother  had  repeated  to  his  dissipated  patron  the  story  of 
his  grievances — that  he  was  a  "  nobody  "  at  home,  and  that 
Lawry  wanted  to  make  a  deck-hand  of  him.  Though  not  a 
badly  disposed  man  in  the  main,  Taylor  listened  with  in 
terest  and  sympathy  to  the  exaggerated  and  distorted  nar 
rative,  and  the  plan  by  which  Ben  was  to  be  put  in  pos 
session  of  the  steamer  was  matured. 

The  creditor  went  to  a  lawyer,  one  of  his  boon  compan 
ions,  who  was  quite  willing  to  make  business  for  himself; 
and  he  had  looked  up  the  law  and  arranged  the  facts,  by 
which  he  expected  to  hold  the  steamer.  Doubtless  it  was  a 
very  ingenious  scheme,  and  perhaps  it  is  unfortunate  that 
the  case  never  came  to  trial,  for  it  involved  some  interesting 
legal  points.  Thus  far  the  design  had  been  carried  out, 
and  Ben  was  in  command  of  the  steamer,  as  an  employee 
of  the  sheriff. 

"  I  won't  be  as  hard  with  you,  Lawry,  as  you  were  with 
me,"  said  Ben,  as  he  walked  up  to  Lawry  in  the  wheel- 
house,  to  which  he  had  retreated  to  hide  his  confusion. 

"  This  is  your  work,  Ben,"  replied  the  youth  bitterly,, 


IO2  Haste  and  Waste 

"  I  was  bound  to  have  the  command  of  this  steamer,  and 
I  have  got  it,"  added  Ben,  with  malignant  triumph. 

"  I  know  you  have ;  you  put  Mr.  Taylor  up  to  this,  or 
he  never  would  have  done  it." 

"  Don't  snarl  about  it,  Lawry ;  the  thing  is  done,  and 
you  can't  help  yourself.  The  sheriff  has  given  me  the  com 
mand  of  the  boat." 

"  And  he  has  attached  the  place.  Mother  will  be  turned 
out  of  house  and  home !  "  cried  Lawry,  unable  to  repress 
his  tears. 

"  No,  she  won't ;  that  will  be  all  right." 

"  Oh,  Ben !    How  could  you  do  it?  " 

"  You  drove  me  to  it.  It  is  all  your  fault,  Lawry ;  so 
you  needn't  whine  about  it.  Don't  make  a  fuss ;  here  comes 
Taylor." 

"  I  don't  want  to  see  him,"  said  Lawry,  moving  toward 
the  door. 

"  Don't  go  off ;  I'm  going  to  take  Ta3rlor  and  his  friends 
up  the  lake,  to  give  them  a  sail." 

"  The  boat  is  engaged  to  Mr.  Sherwood,  to-day." 

"  I  can't  help  it ;  he  will  not  have  her  to-day.  Come, 
Lawry,  be  a  man.  I  won't  be  as  hard  with  you,  I  say,  as 
you  were  with  me.  I  don't  ask  you  to  be  a  deck-hand. 
You  shall  be  the  pilot  still." 

"  No,  I  won't." 

"Won't  you?" 

"  I  will  not,"  said  Lawry  firmly,  as  he  dried  his  tears. 
"  The  boat  is  engaged  to  Mr.  Sherwood,  and  he  has  invited 
a  party  to  go  with  him.  They  were  to  start  at  nine  o'clock, 
and  they  will  be  down  here  soon." 

*'  Can't  help  it.  I  promised  to  take  Taylor  and  his 
friends  out,  and  they  are  all  here  now.  There  are  the  stores 
for  his  party,"  replied  Ben,  as  a  couple  of  men  brought  a 
large  basket  on  board,  from  the  top  of  which  protruded  the 
necks  of  a  demijohn  and  several  bottles. 

"  I  shall  not  go  with  that  party,"  added  Lawry. 

"  But  I  want  a  pilot,"  said  Ben. 

"What's  the  trouble,  Wilford?  "  demanded  Taylor. 


Haste  and  Waste  103 

"  Let  me  tell  him  you  will  go,  Lawry?  "  whispered  Ben. 
'*  He  may  be  hard  on  you  if  you  don't." 

"  I  will  not.     I  must  see  Mr.  Sherwood  at  once." 

"  What's  the  matter?  "  asked  Ethan. 

Lawry  was  explaining  what  had  happened,  when  Ben 
car.  c  down  with  Taylor. 

"  I  shall  not  go  in  her  till  I  have  seen  Mr.  Sherwood," 
added  Lawry,  as  he  finished  his  brief  statement. 

"  Then  I  shall  not,"  said  Ethan. 

"  I  can  steer  her  myself,"  said  Ben  to  Taylor. 

"  Certainly  you  can." 

"  Mr.  Sherwood  will  be  down  soon,  and  we  must  be  off 
befoi'e  he  gets  here." 

"  Go  up,  and  start  her  then,"  added  Taylor. 

Without  noticing  Lawry  and  Ethan,  Ben  rushed  up  to 
the  wheel-house,  and  ordered  the  deck-hands  to  cast  off  the 
fasts,  which  was  done.  He  knew  how  to  steer  a  boat,  and 
understood  the  bells,  having  had  considerable  experience  on 
board  the  large  steamers.  He  rang  to  back  her,  supposing 
Ethan  was  at  his  post  in  the  engine-room. 

She  did  not  back,  and  he  rang  again,  but  with  no  better 
success  than  before. 

"  Back  her !  "  shouted  he,  through  the  speaking-tube. 

There  was  no  answer;  and,  filled  with  anger,  the  new 
captain  rushed  down  to  the  engine-room  to  "  blow  up  "  the 
engineer.  He  found  Ethan  on  the  main-deck. 

"  What  are  you  doing  there  ?  "  demanded  Ben.  "  Don't 
you  hear  the  bells?" 

"  I  heard  them,"  replied  Ethan  quietly. 

"  Why  don't  you  start  her,  then?  " 

"  I've  nothing  to  do  with  her." 

"  Don't  you  run  that  engine?  " 

"  I  don't." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  I  mean  that  I  will  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  engine 
as  things  are  now." 

Ben  raved  and  stormed  at  Ethan ;  then  he  tried  to  coax 
him  to  take  his  place;  but  the  engineer  was  as  firm  as  the 


104  Haste  and  Waste 

pilot  had  been.  Taylor  offered  him  ten  dollars  if  he  would 
run  the  engine  that  day;  but  he  positively  refused.  The 
new  captain  then  went  down  to  the  fire-room,  where  the  man 
in  charge  of  the  furnaces  was  promoted  to  the  position  of 
engineer. 

"  Now  we  can  go  it,"  said  Ben. 

"  No ;  don't  start  her,"  said  the  sheriff. 

"Why  not?" 

"  I  am  responsible  for  the  safety  of  this  boat,  and  she 
shall  not  go  with  neither  pilot  nor  engineer." 

Taylor  and  the  new  captain  swore  terribly ;  but  the  sher 
iff  was  immovable. 


CHAPTER    XVI 

THE    EXCURSION    TO    WHITEHALL 

LAWRY  was  no  lawyer,  and  was  therefore  unable  to  form 
an  opinion  in  regard  to  the  legality  of  the  steps  by  which 
the  Woodville  had  been  taken  from  him.  It  was  an  accom 
plished  fact,  and  he  was  as  disconsolate  as  though  he  had 
lost  his  best  friend.  He  went  on  shore,  and  until  the  per 
emptory  order  of  the  sheriff  was  given,  he  expected  to  see 
the  steamer  shoot  out  from  the  wharf  and  disappear  be 
yond  the  point,  in  charge  of  another  person  than  himself. 

He  had  refused  to  pilot  the  steamer  under  the  new  order 
of  things,  not  because  he  wished  to  be  spiteful  to  his 
brother,  but  because  he  was  smarting  under  a  sense  of  in 
justice,  which  unfitted  him  for  the  duty.  Though  he  did 
not  comprehend  the  legal  measures  which  had  been  taken, 
he  felt  that  there  was  something  wrong.  The  Woodville 
belonged  to  him,  not  to  his  father ;  and  though  he  was  will 
ing  to  give  all  his  earnings  for  the  support  of  the  family, 
and  even  to  pay  off  the  mortgage  on  the  place,  he  felt  that 
it  was  not  right  to  take  the  steamer  from  him. 

He  stood  on  the  wharf,  paralyzed  by  the  calamity  which 
had  overtaken  him.  He  wanted  to  do  something,  but  he 
did  not  know  what  to  do.  The  sheriff,  by  his  caution,  had 


Haste  and  Waste  105 

defeated  the  plans  of  the  new  captain,  and  Lawry  was 
waiting  to  see  what  would  happen  next.  He  wished  to  see 
Mr.  Sherwood,  and  he  would  have  hastened  up  to  his  house 
if  he  could  have  endured  the  thought  of  losing  sight  of  the 
steamer  even  for  a  moment.  Ethan  was  still  on  deck,  for 
though  he  refused  to  run  the  engine,  he  felt  it  to  be  his 
duty  to  stand  by  and  see  that  no  accident  happened,  for 
the  steam  was  up,  and  the  fireman  was  an  unskilful  person. 

Ben  Wilford  and  Taylor  were  disappointed  and  cha 
grined  at  their  failure  to  get  off.  They  stormed  and  swore, 
till  it  was  apparent  that  storming  and  swearing  would  not 
start  the  steamer.  The  sheriff  positively  refused  to  let  the 
boat  depart  without  a  competent  pilot  and  engineer. 

"  What  shall  we  do,  Wilford?  "  said  Taylor.  "  Can't 
you  persuade  your  brother  to  take  hold  again?  " 

"  He's  as  obstinate  as  a  mule ;  but  I'll  try,"  replied  Ben. 

"  Offer  him  twenty  dollars  for  his  day's  work,"  added 
Taylor. 

"  I  may  be  able  to  compromise  with  him,  if  you're  will 
ing." 

"  Anything  you  please,  if  you  can  make  him  and  the 
other  fellow  go  with  us." 

"  Lawry,  Mr.  Taylor  will  give  you  twenty  dollars  if  you 
will  pilot  the  steamer  to-day,"  said  Ben. 

"  I  wouldn't  go  for  a  hundred,"  replied  the  young  pilot. 
"  I  won't  go  with  you  at  any  rate." 

"  Don't  be  so  obstinate,  Lawry." 

"  I  engaged  the  boat  to  Mr.  Sherwood,  and  I  will  not  go 
with  anybody  else." 

"  Mr.  Sherwood  won't  care  when  he  finds  out  that  you 
are  not  to  blame.  You  can't  resist  the  law,  and  if  isn't 
your  fault." 

"  Ben,  I  wouldn't  do  what  you  have  done  for  all  the 
steamers  on  the  lake.  You  have  got  this  man  to  attach  the 
property,  and  take  the  house  away  from  mother,  just  be 
cause  you  wanted  to  be  captain  of  this  steamer." 

"  What's  the  use  of  talking  about  that,  Lawry  ?  "  replied 
Ben  impatiently.  "  I'm  going  to  be  captain  of  this  steamer, 


io6  Haste  and  Waste 

anyhow ;  and  the  sooner  you  make  up  your  mind  to  it,  the 
better  it  will  be  for  you." 

"  I  can't  help  myself." 

"  I  know  you  can't,  and  for  that  reason  you  had  better 
submit  with  a  good  grace.  If  you  will  take  your  place  in 
the  wheel-house,  Mr.  Taylor  will  remove  the  attachment." 

"  Will  he?  " 

"  I  will,"  replied  Taylor. 

"  And  put  everything  where  it  was  before? "  asked 
Lawry. 

"  Of  course  I  am  to  be  captain,  and  Mr.  Taylor  is  to 
have  the  boat  to-day,"  added  Ben. 

"  Mr.  Taylor  can't  have  her  to-day,"  said  Lawry  firmly. 
"  I  engaged  her  to  Mr.  Sherwood,  and  if  anybody  has  her 
to-day,  he  must.  That's  all  I  want  to  say  about  it  now." 

The  young  pilot  turned  on  his  heel  and  walked  away. 
His  brother  and  the  creditor  were  conspirators,  and  he 
wanted  nothing  to  do  with  them.  He  might  have  been  less 
resolute,  if  he  had  not  seen  Mr.  Sherwood's  carriage  stop 
at  the  head  of  the  wharf. 

"  Are  you  all  ready,  Lawry?  "  asked  Mr.  Sherwood. 

The  poor  boy  could  make  no  reply ;  he  burst  into  tears, 
and  turned  away  from  his  kind  friend. 

"  What's  the  matter,  Lawry  ?  "  demanded  Mr.  Sherwood. 

"  I  suppose  he  feels  bad,  sir,"  interposed  the  sheriff. 
"  The  boat  has  been  attached  for  his  father's  debts." 

"  For  his  father's  debts !  "  exclaimed  the  rich  gentleman. 

The  officer  gave  him  a  full  explanation  of  the  case. 

"  This  will  never  do,"  added  Mr.  Sherwood  indignantly. 
"  This  boat  is  Lawry's  property  in  his  own  right." 

"  I  think  not,"  added  Taylor.  "  Here's  my  lawyer ;  he 
can  explain  the  matter  to  you." 

"  No  explanation  is  needed,"  replied  Mr.  Sherwood. 

"  The  boy  is  a  minor,"  said  the  legal  gentleman. 

"  He  may  need  a  guardian,  nothing  more,  to  enable  him 
to  hold  the  property." 

"  Perhaps  you  are  more  familiar  with  the  law  than  I  am, 


Haste  and  Waste  107 

Mr.    Sherwood,"    said    the    legal    gentleman    pompously. 
"  You  gave  this  boat  to  the  boy." 

"  I  did." 

"  While  she  lay  at  the  bottom  of  the  lake  she  was  worth 
nothing.  She  was  an  abandoned  wreck.  If  you  had  any 
property  at  all  in  her,  it  was  subject  to  the  salvage.  Lawry 
Wilford  raised  her.  I  suppose  you  are  willing  to  believe 
that  the  boy's  father  is  entitled  to  his  earnings  ?  " 

"  I  grant  that." 

"  Well,  sir,  whatever  the  boy  earned  in  the  way  of  sal 
vage  belongs  to  his  father ;  and  we  sue  to  recover  that." 

"  This  is  a  ridiculous  suit !  "  exclaimed  Mr.  Sherwood. 

"  Perhaps  it  is,  sir,  but  we  shall  hold  the  boat,  subject 
to  the  decision  of  the  court." 

Mr.  Sherwood  was  vexed  and  perplexed ;  for,  whether  the 
claim  could  be  substantiated  or  not,  the  Woodville  could  be 
held  until  a  decision  was  reached.  Lawry  then  took  him 
aside,  and  told  him  what  his  brother  had  done,  in  order  to 
make  himself  captain  of  the  steamer. 

"  Is  that  it,  Lawry?  I'm  more  sorry  for  your  brother's 
sake  than  I  am  for  yours.  I  pity  him,  because  he  has  been 
capable  of  doing  so  mean  a  thing.  Don't  distress  yourself, 
my  boy.  We  will  make  this  all  right  in  the  course  of  ten 
minutes." 

"  But  they  have  taken  the  steamer  away  from  me,  and 
given  her  up  to  Ben,  who  is  to  take  charge  of  her." 

"  Never  mind,  Lawry.  They  shall  give  her  back  to  you," 
replied  the  rich  man,  as  he  walked  up  to  the  lawyer.  "  How 
much  is  your  claim  against  Mr.  Wilford?  " 

"  One  thousand  and  sixty-four  dollars,"  answered  tit 
legal  gentleman. 

"  Will  you  take  my  draft  or  check  for  the  amount?  " 

"  No,  sir." 

"  I  see  you  are  not  disposed  to  be  accommodating." 

"  We  intend  to  have  the  first  sail  in  this  steamer," 
sneered  Taylor. 

"  I  intend  you  shall  not,"  said  Mr.  Sherwood. 

Unfortunately  he  had  not  money  enough  with  him  to 


io8  Haste  and  Waste 

discharge  the  claim  against  the  ferryman,  which,  as  it  was 
a  just  debt,  whatever  might  be  said  of  the  means  taken  to 
recover  it,  he  had  decided  to  pay,  rather  than  give  bonds 
for  the  steamer,  and  contest  the  attachment.  He  had  in 
vited  several  gentlemen  to  accompany  him  up  the  lake  in 
the  Woodville,  who  were  now  on  the  wharf,  and  from  them 
he  borrowed  enough  to  make  up  the  sum  required.  The 
money  was  given  to  Mrs.  Wilford,  with  instructions  to  go 
to  a  certain  lawyer  and  employ  him  to  see  that  the  mort 
gage  on  the  house  and  land  was  properly  canceled. 

"  When  we  get  our  money,  the  attachment  on  the  boat 
can  be  dissolved,  not  before,"  said  the  lawyer.  "  Mr. 
Sheriff,  the  debt  is  not  paid  yet." 

"  I  will  put  the  money  in  your  hands,  if  you  desire," 
added  Mr.  Sherwood  to  the  sheriff. 

"  I  am  satisfied.  You  may  go  where  you  please  with  the 
boat,  and  as  soon  as  you  please,"  replied  the  official. 

"  She  will  not  go  till  this  claim  is  settled,  Mr.  Sheriff," 
remonstrated  the  legal  gentleman. 

"  She  may  go  now,"  responded  the  officer.  "  Ben  Wil 
ford,  your  services  will  not  be  needed.  Now,  gentlemen,  we 
will  go  up  to  the  village  and  settle  the  bills." 

The  lawyer  protested  that  the  attachment  could  not  be 
removed  till  the  debt  had  been  paid,  but  the  sheriff  was 
willing  to  take  the  responsibility  of  releasing  the  boat. 

"  All  aboard,  Lawry !  "  shouted  Mr.  Sherwood. 

"  I  didn't  expect  you  to  do  this,  sir,"  said  the  young 
pilot ;  "  but  I  will  pay  you  every  dollar,  if  the  steamer  ever 
earns  so  much." 

"  We  will  talk  about  that  some  other  time,  my  boy.  We 
are  all  ready  to  be  off  now." 

Lawry,  with  a  light  heart,  sprang  to  his  place  in  the 
wheel-house;  Ethan  was  already  at  his  post  in  the  engine- 
room,  and  the  ladies  and  gentlemen  of  the  party  hastened 
on  board. 

"  Put  that  basket  ashore,"  said  Lawry  to  the  deck 
hands,  as  he  pointed  to  the  "  stores  "  of  the  party. 

The  basket  was  tumbled  on  the  wharf,  to  the  imminent 


Haste  and  Waste  109 

peril  of  the  glassware  it  contained.  Ben  Wilford  stood  on 
the  pier,  leaning  against  one  of  the  posts  to  which  the 
steamer  was  fastened.  He  looked  sour  and  disappointed. 

"  Cast  off  the  bow-line,"  said  Lawry,  when  all  was  ready. 

At  this  moment  Ben  jumped  on  board. 

"  Stop  her !  "  said  Mr.  Sherwood  sharply,  as  Lawry  rang 
the  bell  to  back  her. 

"  What's  the  matter,  sir?  "  asked  the  pilot. 

"  Young  man,"  said  Mr.  Sherwcod,  stepping  up  to  Ben 
Wilford,  "  you  will  oblige  me  by  going  on  shore." 

"  What  for  ?  "  demanded  Ben  crustily. 

"  We  do  not  need  your  company." 

"  But  I  want  to  go." 

"  I  do  not  wish  you  to  go." 

"  1  think  it  is  rather  steep  for  you  to  tell  me  I  can't  go 
in  my  brother's  boat." 

"  Steep  as  it  may  seem,  you  can't  go,"  added  Mr.  Sher 
wood  firmly. 

"Can't  I  go,  Lawry?"  continued  Ben. 

"  It  is  not  for  him  to  say.  I  have  engaged  this  boat  for 
my  party  to-day,  and,  beyond  his  crew,  it  is  not  for  him  to 
say  who  shall  go." 

"  I'm  going,  anyhow,"  replied  Ben  stubbornly. 

"  No,  you  are  not." 

"  Yes,  I  am !  if  you  want  to  fight,  I'm  all  ready." 

"  Young  man,  you  wanted  to  be  captain  of  this  boat ; 
you  have  made  a  mistake." 

"  No,  I  haven't.  You  and  Lawry  can't  make  a  nobody 
out  of  me." 

"  You  will  do  it  yourself." 

"  You  see." 

"  Will  you  go  on  shore  ?  " 

"  No,  I  won't." 

The  sheriff  stood  on  the  wharf  with  Mrs.  Wilford,  wait 
ing  to  see  the  departure  of  the  Woodville.     Ben's  mother 
begged  him  to  come  on  shore ;  but  he  was  in  that  frame  of 
mind  which  seemed  to  make  opposition  a  necessity  to  him. 
J8 


no  Haste  and  Waste 

"Do  you  want  any  assistance,  Mr.  Sherwood?"  asked 
the  sheriff,  as  he  stepped  on  deck. 

The  reckless  young  man  would  have  been  very  glad  to 
have  Mr.  Sherwood  put  his  hand  upon  him,  for  it  would 
have  afforded  him  an  opportunity  to  revenge  himself  for 
his  disappointment.  It  was  another  thing  to  raise  his  hand 
against  an  officer  of  the  law,  and  he  sullenly  walked  up  the 
gangplank  when  that  formidable  individual  intimated  his 
readiness  to  relieve  the  boat  of  her  unwelcome  passenger. 

"  Haul  in  the  plank,  and  cast  off  the  bow-line,"  said 
Lawry. 

He  rang  the  bell  to  back  her,  and  when  her  bow  pointed 
out  from  the  shore,  the  stern-line  was  cast  off,  and  she 
moved  slowly  away  from  the  wharf. 

"  I'm  sorry  your  brother  behaves  so  badly,  Lawry,"  said 
Mr.  Sherwood,  after  the  steamer  started. 

"  It  makes  me  sick  to  think  of  it,  sir,"  replied  the  pilot. 
"  I'm  really  afraid  of  him,  for  I  don't  know  what  he  will 
do  next." 

"  Do  your  duty,  faithfully ;  that  is  all  you  need  do." 

"  I  feel  almost  sorry  I  didn't  let  him  be  captain,  when  I 
think  the  matter  over." 

"  He  is  not  fit  to  be  captain ;  and  you  did  quite  right  in 
not  consenting  to  it.  I'm  sorry  for  you,  Lawry,  and  sorry 
for  your  mother,  for  he  must  be  a  sore  trial  to  both  of  you." 

"  If  he  wasn't  my  brother  I  wouldn't  care,"  added 
Lawry,  restraining  the  tears. 

"  Never  mind  it,  my  boy ;  we  won't  say  anything  more 
about  it.  Let  us  hope  your  brother  will  grow  better." 

"  I  hope  he  will,  sir." 

The  Woodville  was  now  going  at  full  speed  up  the  lake. 
The  party  on  board  consisted  of  twenty-four  ladies  and 
gentlemen,  most  of  whom  were  summer  visitors  at  Port 
Rock.  They  were  delighted  with  the  beautiful  little  craft, 
and  glad  to  know  that  she  could  be  obtained  for  pleasure- 
parties  during  the  summer.  They  wandered  about  the 
deck,  saloon,  and  cabin  till  they  had  examined  every  part 
of  her,  and  then  they  gave  themselves  up  to  the  enjoyment 


Haste  and  Waste  1 1 1 

of  the  sail,  and  of  the  magnificent  scenery  on  the  borders 
of  the  lake.  They  seated  themselves  on  the  forward 
deck,  and  Lawry  pointed  out  the  objects  of  interest  as  the 
steamer  proceeded;  and  in  this  occupation  he  forgot  the 
conduct  of  Ben,  and  was  as  happy  as  the  happiest  of  the 
party  before  him.  The  ladies  and  gentlemen  sang  songs 
and  psalm  tunes,  in  which  the  sweet  voice  of  Fanny  Jane 
Grant  was  so  prominent  that  Ethan  was  once  enticed  from 
the  fascinating  engine  which  occupied  all  his  thoughts. 

In  the  meantime,  Mrs.  Light  was  busy  with  the  dinner. 
Captain  Lawry  was  a  little  uneasy  on  this  subject,  for  it 
was  out  of  his  line  of  business.  In  the  middle  of  the  fore 
noon  he  gave  the  wheel  to  one  of  the  deck-hands,  and  went 
down  into  the  kitchen  to  satisfy  himself  that  this  important 
matter  was  receiving  due  attention.  The  cook  was  so  conj 
fident  and  enthusiastic  that  he  was  quite  sure  she  would 
realize  the  expectations  of  the  passengers.  In  the  cabin  he 
found  the  girls  busy  at  the  tables.  Both  of  them  had  seen 
service  in  hotels,  and  there  was  no  danger  of  a  failure  in 
their  department.  At  one  o'clock  dinner  was  on  the  table, 
and  the  young  captain  went  down  again  to  assure  himself 
that  it  was  all  right. 

"  Come,  Lawry,  can't  you  dine  with  us  ?  "  said  Mr.  Sher 
wood,  when  the  bell  had  been  rung. 

"  I  can't  leave  the  wheel,  sir." 

"  But  don't  you  want  some  dinner?  " 

"  I'll  have  my  dinner  when  we  get  to  Whitehall.  Haste 
makes  waste,  you  know;  and  if  I  should  be  in  a  hurry  to 
eat  my  dinner  we  might  get  aground,  or  be  smashed  up  on 
the  rocks." 

"  I  suppose  you  are  right,  Lawry,  and  I  will  do  the  hon 
ors  of  the  table  for  you,"  laughed  Mr.  Sherwood. 

The  dinner  was  not  only  satisfactory,  but  it  was  warmly 
praised ;  and  Mrs.  Light  was  made  as  happy  as  the  captain 
by  the  enthusiastic  encomiums  bestowed  upon  her  taste  and 
skill  in  the  culinary  art. 

The  Woodville  reached  Whitehall  at  two  o'clock,  where 
the  party  went  on  shore  to  spend  an  hour.  While  they 


112  Haste  and  Waste 

were  absent  Lawry  and  all  hands  had  their  dinner,  the 
cabins  and  the  deck  were  swept,  and  everything  put  in  or 
der.  Quite  a  number  of  people  visited  the  little  steamer 
while  she  lay  at  the  pier ;  and  a  gentleman  engaged  her  to 
take  out  a  party  the  next  Saturday,  with  dinner  for  twenty- 
four  persons.  When  Mr.  Sherwood  returned,  he  had  let  her 
for  another  day. 

At  three  o'clock  the  Woodville  started  for  Port  Rock. 
The  party  were  still  in  high  spirits,  and  the  singing  was 
resumed  when  the  wheels  began  to  turn.  On  the  way  down, 
she  stopped  at  Ticonderoga,  while  her  appearance  so  de 
lighted  a  party  of  pleasure-seekers  that  she  was  engaged 
for  another  day,  and  a  dinner  for  twenty  spoken  for. 

"  Lawry,  you  must  have  an  engagement-book,  or  you  will 
forget  some  of  your  parties,"  said  Mr.  Sherwood,  who  stood 
by  the  pilot,  in  the  wheel-house,  when  the  steamer  started. 

"  I  have  put  them  all  down  on  a  piece  of  paper,  sir.  I 
will  get  a  book  when  I  go  to  Burlington." 

"  Which  will  be  to-morrow.  I  had  engaged  her  for  four 
days  when  you  came  up  with  her  from  Port  Henry ;  but 
I'm  afraid  we  shall  work  you  too  hard." 

"  No  fear  of  that,  sir.  I  only  hope  I  shall  be  able  to  pay 
you  that  money  you  advanced  this  morning." 

"  Don't  say  a  word  about  that.  Let  me  see :  you  are  en 
gaged  in  Burlington  to-morrow,  to  me  the  next  day,  and 
in  Whitehall  on  the  following  day." 

"  I  will  get  a  book  and  put  them  down,  sir." 

"  But  you  must  be  in  Burlington  by  eight  o'clock  to 
morrow  morning." 

"  We  can  run  up  to-night." 

"  You  will  get  no  sleep  if  you  run  all  night." 

"  I  think  we  shall  wrant  another  fireman." 

"  You  will :  for  in  order  to  keep  your  engagements  you 
will  occasionally  have  to  run  nights." 

At  eight  o'clock  the  Woodville  landed  her  passengers  at 
Port  Rock,  and  as  the  gentlemen  went  ashore,  they  gave 
three  cheers  for  the  little  steamer  and  her  little  captain. 


Haste  and  Waste  113 


CHAPTER    XVII 

BURLINGTON    TO    ISLE   LA    MOTTE 

ON  his  way  home,  Mr.  Sherwood  went  to  the  ferry-house 
and  satisfied  himself  that  the  mortgage  on  the  place  had 
been  canceled.  Mrs.  Wilford  was  profuse  in  the  expression 
of  her  gratitude  to  him  for  his  kindness  to  the  family,  and 
hoped  that  Lawry  and  his  father  would  be  able  to  pay  him 
back  the  whole  sum. 

"  Mrs.  Wilford,  so  far  as  gratitude  and  obligation  are 
concerned,  the  balance  is  still  largely  against  me.  Millions 
of  dollars  would  not  pay  the  debt  I  owe  to  your  son." 

"  Oh,  Lawry  don't  think  anything  of  that,  sir !  " 

"  But  I  do.  Madam,  if  your  son  had  been  five  minutes 
later  than  he  was  when  the  little  steamer  went  down,  Miss 
Fanny  Grant  would  certainly  have  been  drowned,  and  my 
wife  would  doubtless  have  shared  her  fate.  And  when  I 
think  that  this  exposure  of  their  precious  lives  was  my  own 
fault;  that  my  wife  and  her  sister  had  nearly  perished  by 
my  foolish  haste  and  recklessness,  I  feel  like  giving  every 
dollar  I  have  in  the  world  to  Lawry.  You  don't  understand 
this  matter  as  I  do,  Mrs.  Wilford." 

"  I  didn't  think  you  were  in  any  great  danger." 

"  Miss  Fanny  would  certainly  have  been  drowned ;  and 
I  don't  think  it  would  have  been  possible  for  me  to  save  my 
wife,  for  I  was  nearly  exhausted  when  Lawry  came.  Now, 
Mrs.  Wilford,  do  you  suppose  I  shall  mind  one,  two,  or  ten 
thousand  dollars,  where  my  brave  deliverer  is  concerned? 
In  one  word,  I  will  never  take  a  dollar  which  I  have  ex 
pended  for  Lawry  or  the  family.  Your  son  is  a  manly  and 
independent  boy,  and  I  don't  like  to  hurt  his  feelings ;  so 
I  shall  not  say  anything  about  this  money  at  present." 

"  Lawry  is  a  good  boy,"  said  Mrs.  Wilford  proudly. 

"  He  is  worth  his  weight  in  gold.  I  am  sorry  your  old 
est  son  is  not  more  like  him." 

"  I  don't  know  what  to  think  of  Benjamin." 


U4  Haste  and  Waste 

"  Where  is  he  now  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know ;  I  haven't  seen  him  since  the  steamer  left, 
this  morning." 

"  Lawry  is  a  good  deal  troubled  about  the  ferry-boat." 

"  He  needn't  be." 

"  Can  you  hire  a  man  to  run  the  boat?  " 

"  Yes ;  I  can  get  a  boy  who  will  do  it  for  half  a  dollar 
a  day,  and  be  glad  of  the  chance.  I  will  engage  one." 

"  Lawry  goes  to  Burlington  to-night  to  take  out  a  party 
to-morrow." 

"To-night?" 

"  Yes ;  he  must  be  there  by  eight  in  the  morning." 

Mrs.  Wilford  thought  her  son  was  having  a  hard  time 
with  the  steamer;  but  she  knew  he  would  be  satisfied  as 
long  as  he  was  doing  well.  Mr.  Sherwood,  assured  that 
there  was  nothing  at  home  to  detain  the  young  pilot,  left 
the  house.  Lawry  soon  after  entered ;  but  he  had  not  time 
to  tell  his  mother  the  particulars  of  his  first  trip  on  the 
Woodville.  He  could  remain  but  a  few  moments,  while  the 
hands  were  "  coaling  up,"  from  a  cargo  of  coal  deposited 
on  the  wharf  that  day,  by  the  order  of  Mr.  Sherwood. 

At  nine  o'clock  everything  was  ready  for  the  departure. 
The  fireman  grumbled  at  being  called  upon  to  work  at 
night;  but  Lawry  promised  to  get  another  man  to  keep 
watch  as  soon  as  he  could.  It  was  a  long  day's  work 
for  all  hands.  When  the  young  captain  had  gone  to 
the  wheel-house  to  start  the  boat,  Mr.  Sherwood  rushed 
down  the  wharf,  and  jumped  aboard. 

"  I  was  afraid  I  should  be  too  late,"  said  he,  as  Lawry 
met  him  on  the  main-deck.  "  I  have  been  all  over  the  vil 
lage  to  find  you  another  fireman,  and  I  have  succeeded  in 
getting  you  a  first-rate  one — an  old  hand  at  the  business." 

"  Thank  you,  sir ;  you  are  taking  a  great  deal  of  trouble 
for  me." 

"  There's  another  thing  I  quite  forgot ;  I  didn't  pay  you 
for  the  trip  nor  the  dinners.  Here  is  the  money." 

"  I  can't  take  it,  Mr.  Sherwood,"  protested  Captain 
Lawry. 


Haste  and  Waste  115 

"  But  you  must  take  it;  if  you  don't  I  can't  engage  the 
boat  again." 

"  Not  from  you,  sir." 

"  I  am  more  interested  than  any  other  person  in  your 
success  with  the  steamer,  and  I  insist  that  you  take  the 
money." 

"  I  owe  you  for  this  cargo  of  coal,  now." 

"  That  was  a  present  from  Miss  Fanny  Grant." 

"  She  is  very  generous." 

"  Generous !  If  she  doesn't  do  more  than  that  for  you, 
I  shall  be  ashamed  of  her.  By  the  way,  captain,  she  paid 
the  bill  for  repairing  the  steamer  at  Port  Henry." 

"  Indeed !  "  exclaimed  Lawry,  who  had  intended  to  dis 
charge  this  debt  with  the  first  money  he  earned.  "  She  is 
very  kind.  I  don't  deserve  so  much  from  her  and  you." 

"  More,  my  boy.  We  haven't  done  anything  at  my 
house  but  talk  about  you  for  a  week.  Now,  you  must  be 
reasonable.  We  intended  to  give  you  a  good  start.  Miss 
Grant  wishes  to  put  an  upright  pianoforte  in  the  saloon. 
There  is  just  room  for  it  at  the  end  of  the  stateroom  on 
the  starboard  side.  When  that  is  put  in,  we  shall  let  you 
alone.  Now,  Lawry,  take  this  money ;  if  you  don't,  I  shall 
be  offended." 

"  I  don't  like  to  do  so,"  pleaded  Lawry.  "  It  makes  me 
feel  mean." 

"  It  need  not ;  take  it,  Lawry,  for  you  will  want  money 
to  provision  your  boat  in  the  morning." 

Captain  Lawry  took  it,  though  it  seemed  to  burn  his 
fingers. 

"  Now,  my  boy,  you  shall  have  your  own  way.  I  will 
force  nothing  more  on  you,  except  what  I  fairly  owe  you, 
and  you  shall  make  your  fortune  without  any  help  or 
hindrance  from  anybody." 

"  I  owe  you  now " 

"  Silence,  Lawry !  "  laughed  Mr.  Sherwood.  "  There 
comes  your  second  fireman." 

As  the  man  came  down  the  gangplank,  he  handed  Mr. 
Sherwood  a  long  package,  done  up  in  brown  paper. 


1 1 6  Haste  and  Waste 

"  One  thing  more,  Lawry,"  said  his  munificent  friend,  as 
he  led  the  way  to  the  engine-room,  which  was  lighted  by  a 
lantern.  "  Will  you  let  me  put  this  sign  up  over  the  front 
windows  in  the  wheel-house?  " 

"  Certainly,  sir.    What  is  it?  " 

"  It  is  the  motto  of  the  steamer,  and  fully  explains  how 
I  lost  the  boat,"  replied  Mr.  Sherwood,  as  he  unrolled  the 
package. 

It  was  a  small  sign,  about  three  feet  in  length,  elegantly 
painted  and  gilded,  on  which  was  the  motto: 


HASTE    AND    WASTE. 


"  While  you  were  at  Port  Henry,  repairing  the  boat,  I 
went  up  to  Burlington,  where  I  ordered  this  to  be  done.  It 
came  down  to-day,  and  I  want  it  put  up  in  the  wheel-house, 
where  it  will  be  constantly  before  your  eyes,  as  the  best 
axiom  in  the  world  for  a  steamboat  man.  It  will  be  the 
history  of  the  Woodville  to  you,  and  I  hope  you  will  always 
act  upon  it,  never  running  your  boat  above  a  safe  speed, 
nor  leave  your  wharf  when  it  is  imprudent  to  do  so." 

"  I  shall  be  very  glad  to  have  those  words  always  before 
me,"  replied  Lawry. 

"  When  you  are  ready  to  go,  captain,  we  are,"  said  Mr. 
Sherwood. 

"  I'm  all  ready,  sir." 

Lawry  turned,  and  to  his  astonishment  saw  Mrs.  Sher 
wood  and  Miss  Fanny,  who  had  been  looking  over  his  shoul 
der  at  the  pretty  sign. 

"  We  are  going  with  you,  Captain  Lawry,"  added  Mr. 
Sherwood ;  "  that  is,  if  you  won't  charge  us  anything  for 
our  passage." 

"  I  am  very  happy  to  have  you  as  passengers,"  stam 
mered  Lawry. 

"  We  are  so  much  in  love  with  your  boat,  Lawry,  that 
we  could  not  stay  away  from  her,"  added  Mrs.  Sherwood. 


Haste  and  Waste  117 

"  And  her  captain,"  said  Miss  Fanny. 

Lawry  was  good  for  nothing  at  complimentary  speeches, 
and  he  went  aft  to  give  the  girls  directions  to  light  up  the 
cabin  and  the  two  staterooms  for  the  accommodation  of  his 
unexpected  passengers. 

"  Where's  Fanny  Jane?  "  asked  Ethan,  when  Mr.  Sher 
wood  had  gone  to  the  wheel-house  to  put  up  the  motto. 

"  She  is  going  to  keep  house  for  us  while  we  are  gone," 
replied  Miss  Fanny  mischievously.  "  You  were  so  unsocial 
to-day  she  would  not  come  with  us." 

*'  I  had  to  look  out  for  the  engine,"  pleaded  Ethan. 

"  That  was  not  the  reason,  Ethan,"  interposed  Mrs. 
Sherwood.  "  You  behaved  splendidly." 

"  If  you  were  twenty,  instead  of  sixteen,  Ethan,  I  should 
say  you  were  in  love  with  Fanny  Jane,"  laughed  Miss 
Fanny. 

"  Oh,  nonsense !  "  exclaimed  Ethan,  blushing  beneath  his 
smutty  face.  "  I  like  her,  and  after  what  we  went  through 
out  West,  I  don't  think  it  is  very  strange  I  should." 

"  You  are  right,  Ethan.  She  is  a  good  girl,  and  I  hope 
you  will  like  her  more,  rather  than  less." 

"  The  saloon  is  ready  for  you,  ladies,"  said  Lawry,  in 
terrupting  this  pleasant  conversation — very  pleasant  to 
Ethan,  for  without  entering  into  an  analysis  of  the  young 
engineer's  feelings,  it  is  quite  certain  he  thought  a  great 
deal  of  the  companion  of  his  wanderings  in  Minnesota ;  but 
fortunately  he  is  not  the  hero  of  this  book,  and  this  inter 
esting  suggestion  need  not  be  followed  out  any  further. 

The  little  captain  conducted  the  ladies  to  the  saloon,  and 
then  hastened  to  the  wheel-house,  where  Mr.  Sherwood,  by 
the  light  of  a  lantern  in  the  hands  of  one  of  the  boys,  had 
screwed  up  the  sign. 

"  Haul  in  the  plank !  "  shouted  Lawry.  "  Cast  off  the 
bow-line." 

The  Woodville  backed  till  she  was  clear  of  the  wharf, 
and  then  went  ahead.  Lawry  knew  the  lake  by  night  as 
well  as  by  day,  and  he  was  perfectly  at  home  at  the  wheel, 
notwithstanding  the  darkness  that  lay  in  the  steamer's 


1 1 8  Haste  and  Waste 

path.  One  of  the  deck-hands  was  a  boy  of  sixteen,  who  had 
served  in  a  similar  capacity  on  board  the  lake  steamers,  and 
was  a  good  wheelman,  though  he  knew  nothing  of  the  navi 
gation  of  the  lake,  and  steered  only  by  the  directions  given 
him  from  time  to  time.  Captain  Lawry  called  this  hand, 
and  gave  him  the  wheel,  with  orders  to  run  for  a  certain 
headland  several  miles  distant. 

The  young  captain  went  below  with  Mr.  Sherwood,  to 
make  his  arrangements  for  the  night.  The  second  fireman 
had  already  been  installed  in  the  fire-room  by  Ethan,  and 
the  first  had  gone  forward.  A  portion  of  the  forehold  of 
the  steamer  had  been  fitted  up  for  the  accommodation  of  the 
crew.  It  contained  four  berths,  and  was  well  ventilated  by 
a  skylight  in  the  forecastle.  In  building  the  boat,  Mr. 
Sherwood  had  insisted  upon  having  everything  put  into  her 
that  was  to  be  found  in  larger  craft ;  and  these  quarters  for 
the  hands  were  now  very  convenient,  if  not  indispensable. 

Lawry  gave  one  of  these  berths  to  the  first  fireman,  and 
appropriated  the  other  to  the  use  of  the  second  and  the 
two  deck-hands.  The  second  boy  was  gaping  fearfully  on 
the  forward  deck,  and  was  quite  delighted  when  the  captain 
told  him  he  might  turn  in.  On  the  starboard  side  of  the 
steamer,  forward  of  the  wheels,  were  two  very  cunning  little 
staterooms,  the  corresponding  space  on  the  port  side  being 
occupied  by  the  kitchen  and  storerooms.  One  of  these  was 
for  the  engineer,  and  the  other  for  the  captain.  Abaft  the 
wheels,  on  each  side,  was  a  small  stateroom,  one  of  which 
had  been  designed  for  the  captain.  Both  of  these  rooms 
had  been  appropriated  to  the  cook  and  the  two  waiter  girls. 
Mrs.  Light,  in  the  apartment  of  the  commander,  was  quite 
delighted  with  her  accommodations ;  but  Mr.  Sherwood  de 
clared  that  she  deserved  a  princely  couch  for  the  good  din 
ner  she  had  served  that  day. 

The  two  staterooms  to  be  occupied  by  the  passengers 
were  taken  out  of  the  space  that  would  otherwise  have  been 
part  of  the  saloon,  and  were  entered  by  doors  on  each  side 
of  the  passageway  leading  to  it.  They  were  beautiful  little 
rooms,  though  ladies  in  full  crinoline  might  have  been  some- 


Haste  and  Waste  119 

what  perplexed  at  their  contracted  dimensions.  They  were 
elegantly  furnished,  and  Miss  Fanny  declared  that  her  room 
made  her  think  of  the  fairy  palaces  for  little  people,  of 
which  she  had  read  in  her  childhood.  There  were  twelve 
berths  in  the  lower  cabin,  but  these  were  not  needed. 

Having  disposed  of  his  crew  for  the  night,  Lawry  re 
turned  to  the  wheel-house,  where  he  was  soon  joined  by  his 
passengers,  who  spent  an  hour  with  him  before  they  retired. 
At  half-past  ten  they  went  to  their  rooms,  and  Lawry  was 
alone.  Not  a  sound  was  to  be  heard  except  the  monotonous 
clang  of  the  engine,  and  the  lake  was  as  silent  in  the  gloom 
as  though  the  shadow  of  death  was  upon  it.  There  was  a 
solemnity  in  the  scene  which  impressed  the  young  pilot,  even 
accustomed  as  he  was  to  the  night  and  the  silence.  He  was 
worn  out  by  the  labors  and  the  excitement  of  the  day,  but 
he  could  not  resist  the  inspiration  which  came  from  the 
quiet  waters  and  the  gloomy  shores. 

The  Woodville  sped  on  her  way,  and  at  midnight  she  was 
approaching  the  steamboat  wharf  at  Burlington.  Lawry 
rang  to  "  slow  down,"  and  informed  Ethan  that  the  boat 
was  close  to  the  wharf.  The  "  fires  were  drawn,"  and  in  a 
few  moments  more  the  steamer  was  made  fast  to  the  wharf. 
After  satisfying  himself  that  everything  was  secure  on 
board,  the  exhausted  pilot  went  to  his  stateroom,  and  was 
soon  fast  asleep.  Ethan  followed  him,  after  instructing  the 
first  fireman  to  get  up  steam  early  in  the  morning. 

Both  the  pilot  and  the  engineer  slept  till  seven  o'clock ; 
but  when  they  came  out  of  their  rooms,  blaming  themselves 
for  sleeping  so  late,  they  found  the  decks  washed  down,  the 
cabins  in  order,  steam  up,  and  breakfast  ready.  Those 
who  had  "  turned  in  "  early  had  faithfully  performed  the 
duties  belonging  to  them,  as  they  had  been  instructed  the 
evening  before.  Mrs.  Light,  who  was  steward  as  well  as 
cook,  had  been  to  the  market,  and  purchased  the  supplies 
for  breakfast  and  dinner.  Mr.  Sherwood  and  the  ladies 
had  risen  early,  and  taken  a  walk,  which  gave  them  a  keen 
appetite  for  the  excellent  breakfast  prepared  for  them. 
The  passengers  insisted  that  Captain  Lawry  should  sit  at 


I2O  Haste  and  Waste 

the  head  of  the  table  with  them,  as  this  was  the  proper  place 
for  the  commander  of  the  steamer. 

During  his  walk  Mr.  Sherwood  had  purchased  three 
blank  books,  and  a  double  slate,  for  which  Lawry,  agree 
ably  to  the  arrangement  that  nothing  more  should  be 
forced  upon  him,  paid  the  cash  on  the  spot,  to  the  great 
amusement  of  the  ladies.  The  memoranda  of  each  trip,  in 
cluding  the  time  of  arrival  and  departure,  and  of  reaching 
or  passing  the  principal  points  on  the  lake,  were  to  be  en 
tered  on  the  slate  in  the  wheel-house,  and  afterward  copied 
into  the  largest  of  the  blank  books.  These  were  called  the 
log-slate  and  the  log-book.  The  second  was  the  engage 
ment-book,  and  the  third  an  account-book,  in  which  the  re 
ceipts  and  expenses  of  the  steamer  were  to  be  kept. 

After  breakfast  Mr.  Sherwood  assisted  his  young  friend 
in  opening  these  books,  and  explained  to  him  the  best 
method  of  keeping  his  accounts.  By  this  time  the  party 
for  the  day's  excursion  had  begun  to  arrive.  The  ladies 
and  gentlemen  were  friends  of  Mr.  Sherwood,  and  he  and 
his  wife  and  Miss  Fanny  were  to  join  them.  A  small  band 
had  been  provided  for  the  occasion,  consisting  of  six  pieces. 

Precisely  at  eight  o'clock  the  Woodville  left  the  wharf, 
amid  the  inspiring  strains  of  the  "  Star-spangled  Banner," 
performed  by  the  band.  The  scene  was  in  the  highest  de 
gree  exhilarating;  and  the  little  captain  was  the  happiest 
person  on  board,  where  all  was  merriment  and  rejoicing. 
The  boat  was  to  go  down  the  lake  as  far  as  Isle  La  Motte, 
where  the  party  would  spend  a  couple  of  hours  on  shore, 
and  return  by  six  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  This  program 
was  carried  out  to  the  letter,  without  any  accident,  or  any 
nearer  approach  to  one  than  a  thunder-shower  and  squall. 
When  the  little  captain  saw  the  tempest  coming  down  upon 
him,  he  put  the  boat  about  and  run  her  up  into  the  teeth 
of  the  squall.  The  ladies  and  gentlemen  saw  the  commotion 
on  the  water,  and  some  of  them  were  very  much  alarmed; 
but  the  Woodville,  under  the  good  management  of  Lawry, 
did  not  careen  a  particle,  being  headed  into  the  wind. 


Haste  and  Waste  121 

In  three  minutes  it  was  over,  the  steamer  returned  to  her 
former  course,  and  the  party  wondered  that  she  made  no 
more  fuss  about  it.  While  the  rain  continued,  the  excur 
sionists  were  compelled  to  remain  in  the  saloon;  but  they 
were  full  of  glee,  after  their  terror  had  subsided,  and  the 
shower  was  hardly  regarded  as  a  detriment  to  the  pleasure 
of  the  trip. 

At  the  appointed  hour  the  Woodville  was  at  the  wharf 
in  Burlington.  Before  the  party  left  the  boat,  they  met  in 
the  saloon,  and  passed  a  vote  of  thanks  to  the  little  cap 
tain,  in  which  the  dinner,  the  steamer,  and  her  commander 
were  warmly  praised.  It  was  written  out,  a  copy  was  given 
to  Lawry,  and  it  was  to  be  published  in  the  Burlington  pa 
pers.  While  the  boat  was  stopping  at  the  wharf,  Mr.  Sher 
wood  went  up  to  a  printing  office,  where  he  had  left  an 
order  for  a  job  in  the  morning,  and  returned  bringing  with 
him  a  few  copies  of  the  handbill,  which  was  to  announce  the 
Woodville  more  generally  to  the  public.  It  was  posted  in 
various  parts  of  the  steamer,  and  read  aloud  with  mis 
chievous  delight  by  Miss  Fanny.  It  was  printed  in  colors, 
ornamented  with  a  cut  of  a  steamer,  and  read  as  follows : 


MOST  DELIGHTFUL  EXCURSIONS  ON 
THE    LAKE! 

THE    NEW    AND    SPLENDID    MINIATURE    STEAMER 

WOODVILLE, 

Captain  Lawrence  Wilford, 

With  elegant  and  luxurious  accommodations  for 
thirty  passengers,  is  now  ready  to  convey  pleas 
ure-parties  to  any  part  of  the  lake. 

Breakfasts,  dinners,  and  suppers  provided  on 
board ;  and  the  tables  will  be  supplied  with  the 
best  the  market  affords. 

Apply  by  letter,  or  otherwise,  to 

CAPTAIN    LAWRENCE    WILFORD, 

Port  Rock,  N.  Y. 


122  Haste  and  Waste 

By  seven  o'clock  the  Woodville  was  under  way  for  Port 
Rock.  Lawry  gave  the  helm  to  one  of  the  deck-hands,  and 
went  below  to  make  some  entries  in  his  account-book.  He 
had  been  paid,  that  day,  fifty  dollars  for  the  boat,  and 
thirty  dollars  for  dinners.  Mrs.  Light  had  expended 
twenty-six  dollars  for  provisions  and  groceries,  but  he  still 
had  one  hundred  and  twenty-eight  dollars.  It  was  a  large 
sum  of  money  for  a  boy  of  fourteen  to  have,  and  he  counted 
it  with  a  pride  and  pleasure  which  made  him  forget  the 
fatigue  of  his  severe  labors. 

At  half-past  ten  the  steamer  was  moored  to  her  wharf  at 
Port  Rock.  Mr.  Sherwood  and  the  ladies  bade  the  little 
captain  good-night,  and  went  home. 


CHAPTER    XVIII 

TEN   THOUSAND  IN   GOLD 

IT  was  fortunate  for  Lawry  that  he  was  able  to  sleep  well 
in  the  midst  of  the  excitement  in  which  he  lived;  otherwise 
his  bodily  frame  must  have  yielded  to  the  pressure  to  which 
it  was  subjected.  He  did  not  wake  till  seven  the  next 
morning,  which  invigorated  his  powers  and  prepared  him 
for  the  duties  of  another  day.  As  soon  as  he  turned  out,  he 
went  up  to  see  his  mother,  and  gave  her  a  hundred  dollars 
of  the  money  he  had  earned,  reserving  the  balance  for  the 
expenses  of  the  boat. 

At  nine  Mr.  Sherwood  and  his  party  came  on  board.  It 
had  been  his  intention  to  visit  Ticonderoga;  but  business 
letters  which  he  found  waiting  his  arrival  the  evening  be 
fore  compelled  him  to  change  his  destination  to  Burlington. 

Just  before  the  party  appeared,  Ben  Wilford  had  been 
seen  lounging  about  the  wharf.  He  had  complained  bit 
terly  to  his  mother  of  the  treatment  he  had  received  from 
Lawry,  and  did  not  seem  to  be  conscious  that  he  had  ever 
been  engaged  in  a  base  and  mean  conspiracy  against  the 
peace  and  happiness  of  the  whole  family.  Mrs.  Wilford 
had  spoken  plainly  to  him,  which  had  only  increased  his 


Haste  and  Waste  123 

irritation.  The  little  steamer  was  a  sore  trial  to  him,  for 
she  was  the  indication  of  Lawry's  prosperity. 

Ben  had  fully  persuaded  himself  into  the  belief  that  he, 
and  not  Lawry,  ought  to  be  captain  of  the  Woodville.  She 
was  a  family  affair,  and  he  could  not  regard  his  brother  as 
the  actual  owner  of  her.  He  had  imagination  enough  to 
understand  and  appreciate  the  pleasure  of  being  in  com 
mand  of  such  a  fine  craft.  His  conspiracy  had  signally 
failed ;  in  his  own  choice  phrase,  Mr.  Sherwood  "  carried  too 
many  guns  for  him,"  and  it  was  useless  to  contend  against 
money. 

The  envious  brother  had  so  far  progressed  in  his  views 
as  to  believe  that  a  subordinate  position  in  the  Woodville 
was  better  than  no  position  at  all.  He  had  heard  of  the 
fine  times  the  parties  had  on  board  of  her,  of  the  splendid 
dinners,  and  the  inspiring  music ;  and  he  was  very  anxious 
to  have  a  situation  in  her.  He  was  afraid  of  Mr.  Sher 
wood,  and  dared  not  again  take  his  place  boldly  on  board. 
At  a  favorable  moment,  when  Lawry  and  the  deck-hands 
were  employed  on  the  after  part  of  the  deck,  he  slipped 
down  the  plank  and  into  the  forecastle,  concealing  himself 
in  the  berth  of  one  of  the  firemen.  This  trick  might  insure 
him  a  passage  with  the  excursion-party,  if  nothing  more. 

When  the  ladies  and  gentlemen  had  all  arrived,  the  boat 
left  the  wharf,  and  commenced  her  voyage  down  the  lake. 
After  she  had  gone  a  couple  of  miles  Ben  Wilford  came  out 
of  his  hiding-place,  and  proceeded  directly  to  the  wheel- 
house,  feeling  that  he  had  nothing  to  fear  from  his  kind- 
hearted  brother,  and  hoping  to  conciliate  him  before  Mr. 
Sherwood  discovered  that  he  was  on  board.  He  entered  the 
open  door  of  the  wheel-house  as  coolly  as  though  he  be 
longed  there. 

"  Ben ! "  exclaimed  the  little  captain,  when  he  saw  him. 
"  I  didn't  know  you  were  on  board." 

"  I  didn't  mean  you  should  till  I  got  ready,"  replied  Ben. 

"  I  don't  know  as  Mr.  Sherwood  will  like  it  when  he  sees 
you,"  added  Lawry. 

"  If  you  like  it,  he  will." 


124  Haste  and  Waste 

"  I'm  sure  I've  no  objection  to  your  going  with  me." 

"  I  knew  you  hadn't." 

"  But  the  steamer  belongs  to  Mr.  Sherwood  to-day." 

"  Don't  you  want  some  help,  Lawry  ?  Mother  thinks  you 
are  working  rather  too  hard." 

"  I  don't  think  I  shall  hurt  myself,"  answered  Lawry, 
laughing;  and  he  was  really  pleased  to  find  Ben  in  such 
good  humor.  "  I  don't  see  that  you  can  help  me  any." 

"  I  can  steer." 

"  So  can  Rounds,"  replied  Lawry,  referring  to  the  deck 
hand  whom  he  called  to  the  wheel  when  he  left  his  post. 

"  Lawry,  you  are  my  brother — ain't  you  ?  " 

"  Of  course  I  am." 

"  And  I  am  your  brother — am  I  not?  " 

"  Without  a  doubt  you  are." 

"  Then  there  are  two  good  reasons  why  we  should  not 
quarrel." 

"  I'm  very  sure  I  don't  wish  to  quarrel,  Ben,"  added 
Lawry  earnestly. 

"  And  I'm  just  as  sure  I  don't,"  continued  Ben.  "  This 
is  a  splendid  little  boat,  and  we  might  make  a  first-rate 
thing  of  it.  I  still  think  I  ought  to  be  captain  of  her ;  but 
I  won't  quarrel  about  that  now.  I'll  take  any  place  you 
have  a  mind  to  give  me." 

This  was  certainly  very  kind  and  condescending  on  the 
part  of  the  elder  brother,  after  what  had  occurred;  and 
Lawry  really  felt  happy  in  the  excellent  spirit  which  Ben 
appeared  to  manifest. 

"  You  might  give  me  a  chance  as  mate,  if  you  like," 
added  Ben,  as  he  perceived  the  smile  on  his  brother's  face. 

"  I  will  speak  to  Mr.  Sherwood  about  it." 

"What  do  you  want  to  speak  to  him  for?  Don't  you 
own  this  boat  ?  " 

"I  do ;  but  he  has  been  very  kind  to  me,  and  I  want  to 
take  his  advice  when  I  can.  I  wish  you  hadn't  got  into  that 
scrape  the  other  day." 

"What  scrape?" 


Haste  and  Waste  125 

"  Why,  causing  the  boat  to  be  attached  for  father's 
debts." 

"  I  didn't  mean  anything  by  it,  Lawry,"  answered  Ben, 
in  apologetic  tones.  "  You  must  acknowledge  that  you  pro 
voked  me  to  it." 

"How,  Ben?" 

"  I  can't  get  it  out  of  my  head  that  I  ought  to  be  cap 
tain  of  this  boat.  I  think  it  would  be  a  good  deal  better 
for  you,  Lawry.  Just  look  at  it  one  minute!  You  are  a 
pilot,  and  you  have  to  leave  the  wheel  to  see  to  everything 
on  board.  You  ought  to  have  nothing  to  do  but  to  navi 
gate  the  steamer ;  while  I,  as  captain,  could  take  the  money, 
see  to  the  dinners,  and  keep  the  deck  and  cabins  in  good 
order." 

"  We  get  along  very  well,"  replied  Lawry. 

"  But  it  will  wear  you  out  in  a  month.  Mother  is  afraid 
you  will  kill  yourself,  running  the  boat  night  and  day." 

"  If  you  were  captain  I  should  have  to  be  in  the  wheel- 
house  all  the  time,  just  the  same." 

"  Well,  I  don't  insist  on  it,  Lawry,"  replied  Ben,  with 
becoming  meekness.  "  I  was  only  saying  what  would  be 
best  for  all  concerned." 

"  I  will  talk  with  Mr.  Sherwood." 

"  Whatever  you  say,  he  will  agree  to.  Now,  give  me  the 
wheel,  Lawry,  and  you  go  and  see  your  passengers." 

Ben  took  hold  of  the  wheel,  and  the  young  pilot  involun 
tarily  released  his  grasp  on  the  spokes.  The  older  brother 
was  certainly  in  a  very  amiable  frame  of  mind,  and  it  was 
perfectly  proper  to  encourage  him ;  but  there  was  no  more 
need  of  a  mate  than  there  was  of  another  captain.  Rounds, 
as  the  older  of  the  two  deck-hands,  now  performed  the  du 
ties  of  that  office.  There  was  no  freight  to  be  received  and 
discharged,  which  the  mate  superintends;  and  there  was 
nothing  for  him  to  do  but  attend  to  the  gangplank  and  the 
mooring  lines,  and  see  that  the  decks  were  washed  down 
when  required. 

Lawry  was  not  quite  willing  to  leave  the  wheel  in  charge 
of  his  brother,  for  he  was  painfully  conscious  that  he  could 


126  Haste  and  Waste 

not  always  be  trusted.  Ben  was  not  often  in  so  pliable  a 
frame  of  mind,  and  the  little  captain  could  not  help  suspect 
ing  that  he  had  some  object  in  view  which  was  not  ap 
parent,  for  he  had  twice  declared,  that  if  he  was  not  cap 
tain  of  the  Woodville  no  one  should  be.  He  was  not  pre 
pared  to  believe  that  Ben  would  run  the  boat  on  the  rocks, 
or  set  her  on  fire ;  but  he  deemed  it  prudent  to  keep  his  eye 
on  him,  and  on  the  course  of  the  steamer. 

Ben  steered  very  well,  and  Lawry  left  the  wheel-house. 
At  the  door  he  met  Mr.  Sherwood,  just  as  that  gentleman 
had  discovered  who  was  at  the  helm. 

"  How's  this,  Lawry  ?  Have  you  got  more  help  ?  "  asked 
his  friend. 

"  I  didn't  know  Ben  was  on  board  till  we  were  two  miles 
from  the  wharf.  I  hope  you  don't  object,  sir." 

"  Certainly  not,  Lawry.  If  you  are  satisfied,  I  have  no 
reason  to  be  otherwise." 

"  Ben  talks  very  fair  this  morning;  and  I'm  sure  I  don't 
want  to  quarrel  with  him." 

*'  Of  course  not." 

"  He  still  thinks  he  ought  to  be  captain,  and  that  it 
would  be  better  for  me ; "  and  Lawry  stated  his  brother's 
argument. 

"  That's  all  very  pretty,"  replied  Mr.  Sherwood.  "  If 
you  wish  to  give  your  brother  the  command  of  your 
steamer,  it  is  not  for  me  to  interpose  any  objection." 

"  But  I  want  to  follow  your  advice." 

"  I  think  you  had  better  let  things  remain  as  they  are, 
for  the  present,  at  least.  Do  as  you  think  best,  Lawry.  I 
don't  want  to  influence  you." 

This  conversation  took  place  near  the  door  of  the  wheel- 
house,  and,  though  the  parties  had  not  so  intended,  Ben 
heard  every  word  of  it. 

"  Do  as  you  think  best,  Lawry,"  continued  Mr.  Sher 
wood. 

"  I  want  to  do  what  you  think  is  best,  sir." 

"  You  know  my  opinion.  Your  brother's  habits — I  am 
sorry  to  say  it — are  not  good.  I  should  not  be  willing  to 


Haste  and  Waste  127 

trust  him.  You  cannot  place  much  confidence  in  a  young 
man  who  is  in  the  habit  of  getting  drunk.  I  don't  want  to 
hurt  your  feelings,  Lawry,  but  I  must  be  frank  with  you." 

Ben  ground  his  teeth  with  rage,  as  he  listened  to  this 
plain  description  of  himself,  and,  in  accordance  with  his 
usual  practice  in  such  cases,  vowed  to  be  revenged  upon  the 
man  who  had  traduced  him,  which  was  his  interpretation 
of  Mr.  Sherwood's  candid  statement  of  the  truth. 

"  I  think  you  are  right,  sir,"  replied  Lawry,  realizing 
that  Ben  was  not  fit  for  the  command  of  the  Woodville,  even 
if  he  was  disposed  to  give  it  to  him. 

"  Lawry,  I  have  been  compelled  to  change  this  excursion 
into  a  partial  business  trip.  I  am  going  to  buy  the  surplus 
gold  of  a  bank  in  Burlington,  and  you  must  leave  me  there 
and  go  on  to  Port  Kent.  On  your  return,  you  can  stop 
for  me,"  continued  Mr.  Sherwood.  "  What  is  your  engage 
ment  for  to-morrow." 

"  At  Whitehall,  sir." 

"  Capital !  You  can  convey  my  gold  through,  so  that  I 
can  take  the  morning  train  at  Whitehall  for  New  York." 

"  If  we  get  back  to  Port  Rock  by  six,  we  can  reach 
Whitehall  by  twelve." 

"  Well,  that  is  sooner  than  I  wish  to  arrive,"  added  Mr. 
Sherwood  thoughtfully.  "  I  shall  have  ten  thousand  dol 
lars  in  gold  with  me,  which,  at  the  present  rate,  is  worth 
about  twenty-five  thousand  dollars  in  currency.  It  would 
be  a  great  temptation  to  any  rogues,  who  might  find  out 
the  specie  was  on  board.  How  would  it  do  to  start  from 
Port  Rock  at  midnight?  " 

"  It  will  do  just  as  well,  sir." 

"  Then  I  shall  reach  Whitehall  just  in  time  for  the  train. 
But,  Lawry,  I  see  that  you  must  have  another  pilot  on 
board." 

"  I  think  I  can  get  along,  sir." 

"  You  will  wear  yourself  out.  You  have  run  a  portion 
of  the  last  two  nights,  and  this  arrangement  will  make  the 
third." 

"  I  can  sleep  just  as  well  at  Port  Rock  as  at  Whitehall. 


ia8  Haste  and  Waste 

To-morrow  will  be  Saturday,  and  my  engagements  for 
Monday  and  Tuesday  are  at  the  upper  end  of  the  lake,  so 
that  I  shall  have  no  more  night  work  at  present.  I  can 
stand  it  well  enough." 

"  I'm  afraid  it  will  be  too  much  for  you ;  but  if  you  have 
to  engage  an  extra  pilot,  you  must  raise  3Tour  price  to  sixty 
dollars  a  day." 

"  I  think  we  shall  need  another  engineer  at  the  same 
time.  Ethan  has  just  as  hard  a  time  of  it  as  I  do." 

"  You  had  better  raise  your  price ;  people  will  not  ob 
ject." 

"  I  was  thinking,  sir,  that  Ben  would  make  a  good  pilot. 
He  is  a  good  wheelman,  and  it  wouldn't  take  him  long  to 
learn  the  courses  on  the  lake." 

Mr.  Sherwood  shook  his  head. 

"  Would  you  be  willing  to  trust  him  with  the  boat  ? — 
go  to  sleep  yourself,  while  he  is  at  the  helm?  "  asked  he. 

"  I  think  I  would,  after  he  had  learned  the  navigation." 

"  He  is  your  brother,  Lawry,  and  I  don't  like  to  say  any 
thing  to  wound  you ;  but  I  feel  that  your  brother  is  not  a 
reliable  person.  You  must  be  very  prudent.  Even  a  trifling 
accident,  resulting  from  mismanagement,  might  ruin  your 
business;  for  people  will  not  expose  their  lives  needlessly. 
If  Ben  will  run  the  ferry  the  rest  of  the  year,  keep  sober, 
and  behave  well  in  every  respect,  you  might  make  a  pilot 
of  him,  or  even  captain,  another  season." 

Doubtless  this  was  good  advice,  and  the  little  captain  had 
so  much  confidence  in  his  friend  and  benefactor  that  he 
could  not  help  adopting  it.  Mr.  Sherwood  went  into  the 
cabin  again,  without  any  conversation  with  the  subject  of 
his  severe  but  just  comments.  Lawry  was  on  the  point  of 
leaving  the  hurricane-deck,  where  he  had  talked  with  his 
adviser,  when  he  noticed  that  the  boat  was  headed  toward 
the  shore,  and  in  a  moment  more  would  be  aground  in  the 
shoal  water  off  Barber's  Point.  He  rushed  into  the  wheel- 
house,  and  found  that  Ben  had  abandoned  the  helm. 
Grasping  the  wheel,  the  pilot  brought  her  up  to  her  course, 
and  then  turned  to  his  brother. 


Haste  and  Waste  129 

"  What  do  you  mean,  Ben,  by  leaving  the  wheel?  "  de 
manded  Lawry,  filled  with  indignation  at  his  brother's 
treachery. 

"  Don't  talk  to  me,"  growled  Ben. 

"  The  boat  would  have  been  aground  in  a  minute  more." 

"  I  wish  she  was." 

"  What's  the  matter,  Ben?  " 

"  I  thought  you  were  my  brother ;  but  you  are  not." 

"  I'm  sorry  to  hear  you  talk  so ;  and  I  didn't  think  you 
would  do  so  mean  a  thing  as  to  run  the  boat  ashore." 

"  I'll  do  anything  now.  I  heard  what  Sherwood  said  to 
you,  and  what  you  said  to  him.  I  didn't  think  you  would 
let  any  man  talk  about  your  brother  as  he  did.  Do  you 
suppose  I  would  let  any  man  talk  like  that  about  my 
brother?  I'll  bet  I  wouldn't!  I'd  knock  him  over  before 
the  words  were  out  of  his  mouth." 

"  Why,  what  did  he  say,  Ben?  " 

"What  did  he  say!  Didn't  you  hear  what  he  said? 
Didn't  he  tell  you  I  was  a  drunken  fellow,  and  couldn't  be 
trusted?" 

"  Well,  he  certainly  did,"  replied  Lawry  moodily. 

"  And  you  heard  him !  And  you  didn't  say  a  word ! " 
said  Ben  furiously. 

"  What  could  I  say  when  Mr.  Sherwood  spoke  only  what 
I  know  is  true?  " 

"  Then  you  think  I'm  a  drunken  fellow,  and  can't  be 
trusted?  "  demanded  Ben,  with  an  injured  look. 

"  Don't  you  drink  too  much  sometimes  ?  " 

"  No,  I  don't !  I  drink  what  I  want ;  but  no  one  ever  saw 
me  the  worse  for  liquor.  Who  says  I  can't  be  trusted?  " 

"  When  I  gave  you  the  wheel,  at  your  own  request,  you 
left  it,  and  the  boat  would  have  been  ashore  in  another 
minute.  Does  that  look  as  though  you  could  be  trusted?  " 
added  Lawry. 

"  That  was  because  you  wouldn't  trust  me.    I  was  mad." 

"  One  who  would  expose  the  lives  of  twenty  or  thirty  per 
sons  when  he  got  mad  ought  not  to  be  trusted." 

"  Lawry,  you  are  no  longer  my  brother.    You  and  your 


1 30  Haste  and  Waste 

mother,  and  Sherwood  here,  have  been  trying  to  put  me 
down,  and  make  a  nobody  of  me.  You  can't  do  it.  I'm 
your  enemy  now.  You  have  made  me  mad,  and  you  must 
take  the  consequences.  I'll  burn  or  smash  this  boat  the  first 
chance  I  get !  As  for  Sherwood,  I'll  teach  him  to  talk  about 
me!" 

The  angry  young  man  rushed  out  of  the  wheel-house. 
If  Mr.  Sherwood  had  heard  his  insane  threats  he  would 
probably  have  insisted  that  he  should  be  immediately  put 
on  shore;  but  Lawry  did  not  think  his  brother  capable  of 
the  madness  of  malice  his  speech  indicated ;  he  was  in  a  pas 
sion,  and  when  he  cooled  off  he  would  be  reasonable  again. 

Ben  sat  down  on  the  forecastle  where  the  pilot  could  see 
him,  and  nursed  his  wrath  till  the  Woodville  arrived  at 
Burlington.  He  was  in  deep  thought  all  the  time,  and  did 
not  heed  the  singing  or  other  amusements  of  the  party  on 
board,  who  were  enjoying  themselves  to  the  utmost.  Ap 
parently  with  no  perception  of  his  own  faults  and  short 
comings,  he  regarded  himself  as  a  deeply  injured  young 
man.  His  mother  and  his  brother  had  turned  against  him, 
and  were  persecuting  him  to  the  best  of  their  ability.  He 
had  come  on  board  to  gain  his  purpose  by  conciliation ;  he 
had  failed,  and,  in  his  own  view,  there  was  nothing  left  for 
him  but  revenge. 

The  boat  touched  at  Burlington,  and  to  the  great  relief 
of  Lawry,  his  brother  followed  Mr.  Sherwood  on  shore.  At 
three  o'clock  the  Woodville  returned  from  Port  Kent  with 
the  happy  excursionists.  While  the  steamer  lay  at  the 
wharf,  waiting  for  Mr.  Sherwood,  many  persons,  moved  by 
curiosity  to  inspect  the  beautiful  craft,  came  aboard;  and 
whenever  she  stopped,  she  had  plenty  of  visitors  of  this  de 
scription.  Among  them  Lawry  saw  his  brother,  accom 
panied  by  two  men,  who,  from  the  remarks  they  made,  were 
evidently  familiar  with  the  machinery  and  appointments 
of  steamers. 

Mr.  Sherwood  presently  appeared  attended  by  a  bank 
messenger  with  the  precious  coin  he  had  purchased  at  2.44, 
the  telegraphic  quotation  from  New  York  for  that  daj. 


Haste  and  Waste  131 

"  Where  shall  I  put  this  gold,  Captain  Lawry  ?  "  asked 
Mr.  Sherwood. 

"  I  don't  know,  sir ;  I'm  really  afraid  of  it,"  replied  the 
captain  nervousl}'.  "  Can't  you  carry  it  in  your  pockets  ?  " 

"  It  weighs  about  thirty-seven  pounds,"  laughed  Mr. 
Sherwood.  "  I  will  lock  it  up  in  my  stateroom.  I  shall 
sleep  on  board  to-night,  and  it  will  be  safe  enough  after 
we  leave  the  wharf,  for  no  one  but  you  and  me  knows  there 
is  any  specie  on  board." 

The  man  of  gold  went  aft  with  the  coin,  which  was  con 
tained  in  two  bags. 

"  I  suppose  I  can  go  home  with  you — can't  I,  Lawry?  " 
asked  Ben,  as  the  little  captain  started  for  the  wheel-house. 

Lawry  could  not  refuse  this  request,  though  his  brother 
was  evidently  a  little  excited  by  the  liquor  he  had  drank. 
He  hoped  Ben  had  not  heard  anything  about  the  treasure 
on  board ;  for  he  feared  that  revenge,  if  not  dishonesty, 
might  prompt  him  to  commit  a  crime. 

The  visitors  were  warned  ashore,  and  the  Woodville  de 
parted  for  Port  Rock,  where  she  arrived  at  about  six 
o'clock.  The  excursion-party  went  on  shore,  after  the  usual 
compliments  to  the  steamer  and  her  commander. 

"  Now,  Lawry,  I  must  go  up  to  the  house  for  my  valise ; 
but  I  will  return  in  an  hour,"  said  Mr.  Sherwood,  whose 
carriage  was  waiting  for  him  at  the  head  of  the  wharf. 

"  But  the  gold,  sir?  "  whispered  Lawry  anxiously. 

"  You  or  Ethan  may  watch  the  stateroom  till  I  return, 
if  you  please;  but  there  is  no  danger  here.  You  must  turn 
in  at  once,  Lawry,  so  as  not  to  lose  your  sleep." 

"  I  shall  be  gone  four  or  five  days,  this  time,  and  I  must 
go  home  after  some  clean  clothes." 

"  Very  well ;  I  will  get  Ethan  to  keep  his  eye  on  the  state 
room,"  replied  Mr.  Sherwood;  and  Lawry  ran  up  to  the 
cottage. 

Ethan,  who  had  ordered  the  fires  to  be  banked  in  fur 
naces,  and  was  letting  off  the  superfluous  steam,  consented 
to  watch  the  room  containing  the  gold.  Rounds,  the  deck- 


132  Haste  and  Waste 

hand,  and  the  first  fireman  turned  in,  that  they  might  be 
ready  for  duty  at  midnight,  when  the  boat  would  start  for 
Whitehall. 

CHAPTER    XIX 

CAPTURED    AND    RECAPTURED 

UNFORTUNATELY  for  Ben  Wilford,  he  had  heard  Mr. 
Sherwood  inform  Lawry  of  his  intentions  in  regard  to  the 
purchase  and  transportation  of  the  gold.  Before  the 
Woodvitte  reached  Burlington,  the  dissolute  young  man  had 
resolved  to  obtain  the  money  if  possible,  prompted  partly 
by  revenge,  and  partly  by  the  desire  to  possess  so  large  a 
sum,  with  which  he  could  revel  in  luxury  in  some  distant 
party  of  the  country.  It  must  be  confessed  that  this  re 
solve  to  commit  a  crime  was  not  simply  an  impulse,  for  the 
young  man  who  leads  a  life  of  indolence  and  dissipation  is 
never  at  any  great  distance  from  crime.  Ben  had  been 
schooling  himself  for  years  for  the  very  deed  he  now  deter 
mined  to  do. 

With  more  energy  and  decision,  Ben  was,  in  other  re 
spects,  the  counterpart  of  his  father.  His  moral  percep 
tions  were  weak,  and  the  dissolute  life  he  led  had  not  con 
tributed  to  strengthen  them.  He  was  the  antipode  of 
Lawry,  who  had  been  more  willing  to  listen  to  the  teachings 
of  his  mother. 

Ben  had  resolved  to  commit  a  crime,  but  he  had  not  the 
skill  or  the  courage  to  do  it  alone.  When  he  went  on  shore 
at  Burlington,  he  met  two  of  his  former  boon  companions, 
with  whom  he  had  often  tippled,  gambled,  and  caroused. 
One  of  them  had  been  a  fireman,  and  the  other  a  deck-hand, 
on  board  a  steamer  with  Ben,  and  he  knew  them  thoroughly. 
By  gradual  approaches  he  sounded  them,  to  ascertain  their 
willingness  to  join  him  in  the  robbery.  The  gold  converted 
into  currency  would  give  them  seven  or  eight  thousand  dol 
lars  apiece,  and  the  temptation  was  sufficiently  strong  to 
remove  all  prudential  obstacles. 

While  the  Woodville  was  absent  on  her  trip  to  Port  Kent, 


Haste  and  Waste  133 

the  details  of  the  robbery  had  been  settled.  The  confed 
erates  sat  on  the  corner  of  the  wharf  and  arranged  their 
plans,  which  were  mainly  suggested  by  the  one  who  had 
been  a  fireman.  The  scheme  was  to  be  executed  while  the 
boat  lay  at  Port  Rock,  and  the  two  men  whom  Lawry  had 
seen  with  his  brother  were  his  associates  in  the  intended 
crime.  Ben  had  concealed  them  in  the  forehold  of  the 
steamer.  While  the  excursion-party  were  going  on  shore 
at  the  gangway  abaft  at  the  wheels,  and  all  hands  had  gone 
aft  to  witness  their  departure,  Ben  had  called  them  from 
their  hiding-place,  and  sent  them  on  the  wharf,  where  he 
soon  joined  them.  From  a  point  near  the  head  of  the  pier, 
where  they  were  not  observed,  they  waited  till  Mr.  Sher 
wood  and  Lawry  had  gone,  and  all  was  quiet  on  board  of 
the  steamer. 

"  Now  is  our  time,"  said  Ben  nervously ;  for  he  was  not 
familiar  enough  with  crime  to  be  unmoved  by  the  desperate 
situation  in  which  he  had  placed  himself. 

"  Is  the  coast  clear?  "  asked  the  fireman. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Ben,  whose  teeth  actually  chattered  with 
apprehension. 

"  Who  is  there  on  board  now?  " 

"  No  one  but  the  engineer  and  the  fireman,  except  two 
boys,"  answered  Ben.  "  They  were  all  going  to  turn  in  as 
soon  as  they  got  to  the  wharf." 

"  The  firemen  are  both  men,  but  I  reckon  they  won't 
fight ;  all  the  rest  are  boys." 

"  One  fireman  and  two  boys  have  turned  in  by  this  time," 
added  Ben. 

"  Then  there  is  no  one  up  but  the  engineer  and  one  fire 
man?" 

"  No." 

"  Where  is  the  gold,  Ben?  " 

"  In  the  starboard  saloon  stateroom." 

"  All  right ;  have  your  pistols  ready,  but  don't  use  them, 
for  it  will  be  bad  for  us  if  we  have  to  kill  any  one." 

The  party  walked  down  to  the  Woodvttle.  All  was  still 
on  board  of  her,  except  the  sound  of  escaping  steam.  Ethan 


134  Haste  and  Waste 

stood  sentry  at  the  door  of  the  stateroom  containing  the 
gold,  and  the  man  on  watch  in  the  fire-room  was  busy  read 
ing  a  newspaper.  It  was  not  sunset  yet,  but  the  crew  of 
the  Woodville  had  been  worked  so  hard  for  three  days  that 
those  off  duty  could  sleep  without  an  opiate. 

"  Put  on  that  hatch,"  said  the  fireman,  who  became  the 
leading  spirit  of  the  party,  as  he  pointed  to  the  companion- 
way  of  the  forehold,  where  the  hands  slept. 

Ben  obeyed  the  order  without  making  any  noise,  and  then 
the  party  went  aft,  where  Ethan  was  keeping  guard  over 
the  treasure. 

"  Good  evening,  Ethan,"  said  Ben,  with  more  suavity 
than  he  was  in  the  habit  of  using. 

"  Good  evening,"  replied  the  engineer. 

"  Haven't  turned  TH  yet?  "  continued  Ben. 

"  No." 

"  Going  to  start  at  midnight,  I  hear." 

"  Yes." 

"  Some  friends  of  mine  wanted  to  look  over  the  boat ;  I 
suppose  I  can  show  them  through." 

"  I  don't  know ;  Captain  Lawry  can  tell  you,"  answered 
Ethan,  who  did  not  like  Ben,  and  was  not  favorably  im 
pressed  by  the  appearance  of  the  other  men. 

Ben  walked  aft  into  the  saloon,  followed  by  his  compan 
ions.  Ethan  was  sitting  in  a  chair  by  the  side  of  the  state 
room  door.  The  fireman  passed  round  behind,  and  suddenly 
fell  upon  him,  throwing  him  on  the  floor  and  pinioning  his 
arms  to  his  back. 

"  What  are  you  about?  "  cried  Ethan,  struggling  to  re 
lease  himself.  "  Help !  help !  " 

"  Stop  his  mouth !  "  said  Ben  fearfully. 

Vainly  poor  Ethan  endeavored  to  shake  off  his  assail 
ants  ;  his  arms  were  tied  together  behind  him,  and  a  hand 
kerchief  stuffed  into  his  mouth.  In  this  condition  he  was 
lashed  to  a  stanchion,  so  that  he  could  move  neither  hand 
nor  foot. 

The  commotion  of  this  outrage  attracted  the  attention 
of  Mrs.  Light  and  the  two  waiter-girls,  who  were  employed 


Haste  and  Waste  135 

in  the  lower  cabin.  The  fireman  exhibited  a  pistol  to  them, 
drove  them  below  again,  and  threatened  to  shoot  them  if 
they  made  any  noise.  A  similar  demonstration  quieted  the 
fireman,  and  compelled  him  to  return  to  the  fire-room. 

"  The  job  is  done,"  said  Baker,  the  leader  of  the  enter 
prise. 

"  But  we  haven't  got  the  money,"  added  Flint,  the  deck 
hand. 

"  We  don't  want  that  yet.  It  is  safe  where  it  is.  Now 
both  of  you  to  your  stations,"  continued  Baker;  and  he 
went  down  into  the  fire-room. 

Ben's  station  was  in  the  wheel-house,  Flint's  at  the  fasts, 
and  Baker's  at  the  engine,  as  it  appeared  from  their  sub 
sequent  movements;  and  it  was  evident,  from  the  opera 
tions  in  progress,  that  the  villains  intended  to  make  their 
escape  in  the  steamer.  Baker  stopped  the  hissing  steam 
which  was  going  to  waste,  and  compelled  the  fireman  to 
renew  the  fires. 

"  Be  lively !  "  shouted  Ben,  from  the  wheel-house,  as  he 
discovered  Lawry  on  the  shore,  hastening  back  to  the 
steamer  with  his  bundle  of  clothes. 

"  All  ready !  "  replied  Baker,  finding  there  was  steam 
enough  to  start  the  boat. 

Flint  had  already  cast  off  the  fasts,  without  waiting  for 
orders,  and  was  standing  on  the  forecastle,  as  impatient  to 
be  off  as  a  man  can  be  who  is  engaged  in  the  commission  of 
a  crime. 

Ben  rang  the  bell  to  back  her ;  the  wheels  turned,  but  as 
the  stern-line  had  been  cast  off,  her  bow  was  not  carried 
out  from  the  wharf.  By  this  time  Lawry  had  discovered 
that  the  Woodville  was  in  motion.  He  was  astonished  and 
alarmed,  though  he  was  far  from  surmising  that  his  boat 
had  been  captured  by  robbers.  Running  with  all  his  speed, 
he  reached  the  head  of  the  wharf  just  as  the  boat  had 
backed  far  enough  to  permit  Ben  to  see  him,  and  for  him 
to  see  that  Ben  was  at  the  wheel.  Then  he  realized  that 
his  brother  was  engaged  in  another  conspiracy. 

Notwithstanding   his   extensive  knowledge   of   "  steam- 


136  Haste  and  Waste 

boating "  in  general,  Ben  Wilford  was  a  very  unskilful 
pilot.  If  he  had  understood  the  management  of  a  boat  half 
as  well  as  Lawry,  the  nefarious  scheme  might  have  been 
successful.  He  saw  his  brother;  he  did  not  wish  to  have 
him  come  on  board,  for  Lawry  might  be  so  obstinate  as  to 
induce  one  of  his  dissolute  companions  to  fire  at  him.  He 
rang  the  bell  to  stop  her,  and  then  to  go  ahead,  at  the 
same  time  putting  the  helm  hard  aport. 

The  Woodville  went  forward,  and  as  she  met  the  helm 
her  bow  came  round,  and  she  was  headed  out  into  the  mid 
dle  of  the  lake.  As  she  went  ahead,  her  stern  swept  in  a 
circle  within  a  few  feet  of  the  wharf,  just  as  Lawry,  breath 
less  with  haste  and  alarm,  reached  the  end  of  the  pier.  The 
little  captain  knew  nothing  of  the  state  of  things  on  board, 
except  that  his  brother  Ben  was  at  the  wheel,  which,  how 
ever,  was  a  sufficient  explanation  to  him.  The  Woodville 
was  going,  and  he  could  not  let  her  depart  without  him. 
Dropping  his  bundle,  he  leaped  to  the  plankshear,  grasp 
ing  the  rail  with  both  hands.  Jumping  over  the  bulwark, 
he  stood  on  the  guard  from  which  opened  the  windows  of 
the  saloon. 

Neither  of  the  three  conspirators  were  in  a  situation  to 
see  this  movement  on  the  part  of  Lawry.  Ben  was  too  much 
occupied  in  steering — for  he  was  not  a  little  fearful  of  get 
ting  aground  in  some  shoal  water  between  the  ferry  and 
the  wharf — to  notice  anything;  but  as  soon  as  he  had  ob 
tained  his  course,  he  looked  for  his  brother  on  the  pier.  He 
was  not  there ;  but  Ben  did  not  suspect  that  he  was  on  board 
the  Woodville.  Baker,  who  knew  just  enough  about  an 
engine  to  stop  and  start  it,  was  working  the  valves  with 
the  bar ;  and  he  could  think  of  nothing  else.  Doubtless  he 
was  conscious  by  this  time  that  he  had  "  taken  a  big  job," 
in  assuming  the  control  of  the  engine. 

Lawry  was  bewildered  by  the  situation.  When  his  feet 
struck  the  deck,  his  first  impulse  was  to  rush  up  to  the 
wheel-house,  and  confront  the  difficulty  as  the  case  might 
require.  He  started  to  carry  out  his  purpose,  when  he 
happened  to  look  through  one  of  the  saloon  windows,  and 


Haste  and  Waste  137 

discovered  Ethan,  with  the  handkerchief  in  his  mouth,  tied 
to  the  starchion.  Deeply  as  he  sympathized  with  his  friend 
in  his  unpleasant  position,  he  was  still  cheered  by  the  sight, 
for  it  assured  him  that  the  engineer  had  been  faithful  to 
his  duties,  and  was  not  a  party  to  the  conspiracy. 

The  little  captain  went  round  and  entered  the  saloon  by 
the  door,  without  being  seen  by  either  of  the  conspirators. 
He  removed  the  gag  from  Ethan's  mouth,  and  proceeded 
to  unfasten  the  cords  with  which  he  was  bound. 

"  What  does  all  this  mean,  Ethan  ?  "  demanded  Lawry, 
in  excited  tones,  and  almost  crying  with  vexation. 

"  Hush!  Do  they  know  you  are  here?  "  asked  the  en 
gineer. 

"  I  think  not ;  I  don't  know." 

"  Keep  still,  then.     They  are  after  the  gold." 

"Who  are  they?" 

"  Ben  and  two  other  fellows.    I  don't  know  them." 

"  We'll  stop  this  thing  very  quick,"  said  Lawry. 

"  They  are  armed  with  pistols,  and  threatened  to  shoot 
all  hands.  Be  careful,  Lawry,  or  you  will  get  a  bullet 
through  your  head." 

"  What  shall  we  do  ?  "  demanded  the  young  pilot. 

Ethan  was  an  accomplished  strategist.  He  led  the  way 
to  the  lower  cabin,  where  the  terrified  women  had  bee» 
driven  by  the  ruffians. 

"  If  any  of  those  men  ask  for  me,  tell  them  I  got  loose, 
jumped  overboard,  and  swam  ashore,"  said  Ethan. 

"  Law  sake !  "  exclaimed  the  cook. 

"  Don't  tell  them  I  am  here,  at  any  rate." 

"  I  won't.     Massy  sake !     What  are  we  comin'  to  ?  " 

"  Don't  be  alarmed ;  we  will  take  care  of  these  villains 
before  we  have  done  with  them,"  added  Ethan. 

"  Hush !  There's  some  one  coming,"  said  one  of  the 
girls ;  and  the  heavy  tread  of  a  man  was  heard  on  the  deck 
above  them. 

Ethan  and  Lawry  had  only  time  to  crawl  into  one  of  the 
berths,  where  Mrs.  Light  covered  them  with  bedclothes,  be- 
rbre  Flint  came  down  into  the  cabin. 


138  Haste  and  Waste 

"  See  here ;  we  haven't  been  to  supper,  and  we  want 
Borne,"  said  the  ruffian,  as  he  descended  the  steps. 

"  What  are  you  goin'  to  do  with  us  ?  "  demanded  Mrs. 
Light. 

"  Don't  be  scart ;  we  won't  hurt  you,"  replied  Flint. 

"  But  where  you  goin'  ?  " 

"  Up  to  Whitehall.  When  we  get  there,  you  can  go 
where  you  please.  Now,  get  us  some  supper ;  the  best  there 
is  on  board — beefsteak  and  coffee." 

"  Well,  I  suppose  I  can  get  you  some  supper ;  but  I  don't 
like  such  carryin's  on,"  replied  Mrs.  Light. 

Flint  left  the  cabin,  after  he  had  given  his  order.  On 
his  way  forward  he  looked  into  the  saloon,  and  discovered 
that  their  prisoner  was  missing.  Search  was  immediately 
instituted;  but  Mrs.  Light,  as  instructed  by  Ethan,  de 
clared  that  he  had  got  loose  and  swam  ashore ;  she  had  seen 
him  through  the  stern-lights.  The  rascals  finally  accepted 
this  explanation,  after  searching  on  deck  for  him. 

Mrs.  Light  went  to  the  kitchen  to  get  supper  for  the 
rogues,  while  the  girls  set  the  table.  The  cook  presently 
returned  to  the  cabin,  and  told  Ethan  where  each  of  the 
robbers  was  stationed ;  but  being  unarmed,  there  seemed  to 
be  no  way  of  making  an  attack  upon  them  where  the  ruf 
fians  could  not  rally  to  the  support  of  each  other. 

"  We  must  settle  this  business  down  here,  Lawry,"  said 
Ethan,  when  they  had  come  out  of  their  hiding-places. 

"  They  will  have  to  come  to  supper  one  at  a  time,"  added 
the  little  captain. 

"  Exactly  so ;  and  this  will  be  the  safest  place  to  do  the 
job.  We  want  a  rope,"  added  the  engineer,  with  a  busi 
nesslike  air. 

"  I'll  fetch  you  a  rope,"  said  Mrs.  Light. 

"  Do ;  bring  me  the  small  heave-line,  on  the  guard  by  the 
saloon  doors." 

The  cook  went  on  deck,  and  after  a  visit  to  the  kitchen, 
returned  to  the  cabin  with  the  line  indicated  under  her 
apron.  In  about  half  an  hour  supper  was  ready  for  the 
villains,  and  one  of  the  girls  informed  Baker,  who  was  still 


Haste  and  Waste  139 

on  duty  in  the  engine-room,  that  it  was  waiting  for  them. 
The  engineer  called  Flint,  and  told  him,  as  the  boat  was 
out  in  the  middle  of  the  lake,  the  engine  would  need  nothing 
done  to  it,  and  directed  him  to  stand  at  the  door,  so  that 
the  fireman  below  should  not  attempt  to  defeat  their  plans. 
He  then  went  to  the  cabin  for  his  supper. 

Ethan  and  Lawry  had  concealed  themselves  behind  the 
curtains  of  a  tier  of  berths,  directly  in  the  rear  of  the  chair 
where  Baker  was  to  sit  at  the  table.  In  his  hand  Ethan 
held  the  heave-line,  at  one  end  of  which  Lawry  had  made  a 
hangman's  noose.  Mrs.  Light  and  the  girls  had  been  in 
structed  to  rattle  the  chairs,  make  as  much  noise  as  they 
could,  and  otherwise  engage  the  attention  of  the  robber,  as 
soon  as  he  sat  down  to  the  table. 

Baker  came  down  the  stairs,  and  one  of  the  girls  began 
to  rattle  the  chairs,  Mrs.  Light  to  move  a  pile  of  plates, 
and  the  other  girl  to  arrange  the  dishes  on  the  table. 

"  Will  you  have  some  coffee?  "  demanded  Mrs.  Light, 
without  giving  him  time  to  notice  anything  in  the  cabin. 

"  Of  course  I  will,"  growled  Baker. 

"  Shall  I  give  you  some  beefsteak  ?  "  asked  one  of  the 
girls. 

"  I'll  help  myself." 

"  If  you  want  some  fried  eggs  I'll  get  some  for  you," 
added  the  cook,  rattling  the  dishes  again. 

Baker  was  not  permitted  to  say  whether  he  would  have 
any  fried  eggs  or  not,  for  at  that  moment  Ethan  crept 
from  his  concealment,  whatever  noise  he  made  being 
drowned  by  the  clatter  of  the  dishes  and  the  rattling  of  the 
chairs.  Stealing  up  behind  Baker,  who  was  intent  only  on 
beefsteak  and  coffee,  he  slipped  the  hangman's  noose  over 
his  head,  and  hauled  it  tight.  The  robber  attempted  to 
spring  to  his  feet,  but  Ethan  hauled  him  over  backward  on 
the  floor.  At  the  same  time  Lawry  threw  the  end  of  the 
line  over  a  deck  beam,  extended  across  the  skylight,  and 
began  to  "  haul  in  the  slack." 

The  villain  attempted  to  cry  out;  but  the  sound  only 
gurgled  in  his  throat.  He  grasped  the  rope  with  both 


140  Haste  and  Waste 

hands;  but  the  choking  already  received  had  taken  away 
his  strength,  and  he  was  unable  to  make  any  successful  re 
sistance.  While  Lawry  kept  the  rope  so  taut  that  Baker 
could  not  move,  Ethan  tied  his  hands  behind  him,  though 
the  man's  struggles  were  fierce,  and  the  engineer  was 
obliged  to  use  a  rolling-pin,  supplied  by  Mrs.  Light,  before 
the  conquest  was  complete.  The  ruffian  was  securely  bound 
and  gagged ;  but  the  cook  and  the  girls  had  nearly  fainted 
while  the  struggle  was  going  on. 

Baker,  thus  gagged  and  bound,  was  rolled  into  one  of 
the  lower  berths.  He  had  been  nearly  choked  to  death  by 
the  rope,  and  several  hard  knocks  he  had  received  on  the 
head  had  rendered  him  partially  insensible,  so  that  he  was 
not  in  condition  to  make  any  further  resistance.  Ethan  had 
taken  possession  of  his  pistol,  and,  as  a  matter  of  precau 
tion,  threatened  to  blow  out  his  brains  if  he  made  any  noise. 

"  Massy  sake !  "  groaned  Mrs.  Light.  "  I  never  did 
see !  You've  taken  my  breath  all  away !  " 

"  Don't  make  a  noise,"  said  Ethan. 

"  I  couldn't  have  struck  that  man  as  you  did,"  added 
Lawry. 

"  If  you  had  been  through  what  I  have,  out  West,  it 
would  come  easier  to  you,"  replied  the  engineer.  "  We 
must  go  through  the  whole  of  it  once  more." 

One  of  the  girls  was  then  sent  to  call  Flint,  and  directed 
to  assure  him  that  such  was  the  order  of  Baker,  who  had 
gone  to  the  wheel-house  for  a  moment,  and  would  immedi 
ately  return  to  the  engine-room.  The  deck-hand  was  too 
much  in  a  hurry  for  his  supper  to  question  the  order,  and 
went  directly  to  the  cabin.  The  noise  made  by  Mrs.  Light 
and  the  girls  prevented  him  from  hearing  the  heavy  breath 
ings  of  Baker,  and  he  was  an  easier  victim  than  his  com 
panion  in  crime  had  been.  He  was  choked,  gagged,  bound, 
and  his  pistol  taken  from  him.  By  this  time  these  two 
ruffians,  if  they  could  think  at  all,  could  not  help  believing 
that  the  way  of  the  transgressor  is  hard. 

From  regard  to  the  feelings  of  Lawry,  Ethan  decided 
that  Ben  should  not  be  subjected  to  this  harsh  treatment. 


Haste  and  Waste  141 

Ee  was  still  in  the  wheel-house,  not  suspecting  that  his 
nefarious  scheme  had  been  wholly  defeated. 

The  work  was  accomplished,  and  the  pilot  and  engineer 
went  on  deck.  Ethan  repaired  to  his  post  and  stopped  the 
engine.  Ben  half  a  dozen  times  demanded,  through  the 
speaking-tube,  what  the  matter  was;  but  receiving  no  an 
swer,  he  came  down  himself  to  ascertain  the  cause  of  the 
sudden  stoppage  of  the  boat. 


CHAPTER    XX 

THE   LITTLE   CAPTAIN   AND   HIS    MOTTO 

As  Ben  Wilford,  fearful  that  some  accident  to  the  ma 
chinery  would  defeat  his  criminal  enterprise,  entered  the 
engine-room  on  one  side,  Lawry  left  it  at  the  other.  As  the 
little  captain  went  forward,  he  heard  a  noise  in  the  fore 
castle,  and  saw  that  the  companionway  was  closed  and 
fastened.  Releasing  the  firemen  and  deck-hands  confined 
there,  he  directed  them  to  follow  him  to  the  wheel-house, 
where  he  explained  to  them  what  had  happened. 

"  What  are  you  stopping  for?  "  demanded  Ben  Wilford, 
before  he  discovered  that  Baker  was  not  present. 

"  I  think  it  is  about  time  to  go  back,  now,"  replied 
Ethan,  holding  one  of  the  pistols  in  his  hand. 

"  How  came  you  here,  Ethan?  "  exclaimed  Ben,  starting* 
back  with  astonishment  when  he  saw  who  was  in  charge  of 
the  engine. 

"  I  run  this  machine,  and  this  is  the  right  place  for  me," 
replied  Ethan  coolly. 

"Where's  Baker?" 

"  He's  safe ;  if  you  mean  the  man  you  left  in  charge  of 
the  engine." 

Ben  was  bewildered  by  the  present  aspect  of  affairs.  It 
^ras  clear  that  there  had  been  a  miscarriage  somewhere ;  but 
he  was  unable  to  tell  how  or  where  the  scheme  had  failed. 
Before  he  could  decide  what  step  to  take  next,  Captain 
Lawry  rang  the  bell  to  go  ahead. 

JIO 


142  Haste  and  Waste 

"  Who  rang  the  bell?  "  asked  Ben. 

"  Captain  Lawry." 

"Is  he  on  board?" 

"  He  is,"  replied  Ethan,  as  he  started  the  engine.  "  Ben 
Wilford,  you  have  got  about  to  the  end  of  your  rope." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  You  have  done  a  job  which  will  send  you  to  Sing  Sing 
for  the  next  ten  years." 

"  No,  I  haven't,"  said  Ben,  backing  out  of  the  engine- 
room. 

"  Stop  where  you  are,"  interposed  Ethan,  peremptorily, 
as  he  raised  his  pistol. 

"  Two  can  play  at  that  game,"  added  Ben. 

"  Two  can ;  but  two  won't.  Drop  your  hands,  or  I'll 
fire!" 

Ben  obeyed;  he  had  felt  that  the  game  was  up  the  mo 
ment  he  saw  Ethan  at  his  post,  and  he  had  not  the  courage 
to  draw  his  pistol  upon  one  who  had  shot  two  Indians  in 
one  day. 

"  Sit  down  there,"  continued  Ethan,  pointing  to  the 
bench  in  the  engine-room,  and  the  culprit  took  his  seat  with 
fear  and  trembling. 

"  What  shall  I  do  ?  "  groaned  the  wretched  young  man, 
as  he  thought  of  the  consequence  of  his  crime. 

"  Jump  overboard  and  drown  yourself.  That  would  save 
your  friends  a  great  deal  of  trouble,"  replied  Ethan. 
"  Give  up  your  pistol !  " 

Ben  gave  it  up,  and  began  to  plead  with  Ethan  to  let 
him  escape,  declaring  that  it  would  kill  his  mother,  and 
Lawry  never  would  get  over  it,  if  he  was  sent  to  the  peni 
tentiary.  Though  the  engineer  dreaded  the  day  when  his 
friend  would  be  compelled  to  testify  in  court  against  his 
own  brother,  he  would  not  yield  to  the  culprit's  entreaties, 
and  did  not  intend  that  he  should  escape  the  penalty  of  his 
crime. 

When  the  Woodville  reached  her  wharf,  having  been  ab 
sent  but  little  more  than  an  hour,  Mr.  Sherwood  and  the 
ladies  were  on  the  wharf.  While  Ethan  was  working  the 


Haste  and  Waste  143 

engine  with  the  bar,  Ben  slipped  out  of  the  room.  The 
engineer  saw  him,  and  gave  the  alarm;  but  he  could  not 
leave  his  post  at  that  moment.  As  soon  as  the  boat  was 
moored,  search  was  made ;  but  Ben  could  not  be  found.  He 
certainly  was  not  on  board. 

Mr.  Sherwood  was  astonished  when  he  was  told  what  had 
occurred.  He  sent  his  coachman  after  the  sheriff  at  once, 
and  directed  that  the  search  for  Ben  Wilford  should  be 
renewed.  The  stateroom  was  found  locked,  as  he  had  left 
it,  and  the  gold  undisturbed.  Mrs.  Light  and  the  girls, 
the  firemen  and  the  deck-hands,  had  their  own  stories  to  tell, 
to  all  of  which  Mr.  Sherwood  listened  very  patiently. 

"  You  have  done  well,  Lawry,"  said  he.  "  You  have 
saved  my  gold." 

"  It  was  Ethan,  sir,  that  did  the  business.  I  don't  be 
lieve  I  could  have  done  anything  alone,"  replied  the  little 
captain. 

"  Lawry  did  his  share,"  added  Ethan,  with  due  modesty. 

"  I'm  sure  they  both  fit  like  wildcats  in  the  cabin,"  said 
Mrs.  Light.  "  I  was  e'ena'most  scart  to  death." 

When  the  sheriff  came,  he  took  Baker  and  Flint  into  cus 
tody,  and  sent  the  constable  who  had  come  with  him  to  find 
Ben  Wilford.  The  two  robbers  in  the  cabin  were  in  bad 
condition.  The  choking  they  had  received  had  been  a  ter 
rible  shock  to  their  nerves,  which,  with  the  hard  knocks 
given  by  Ethan  with  the  cook's  rolling-pin,  had  entirely 
used  them  up,  and  there  was  neither  fight  nor  bravado  in 
them.  Flint  said  they  had  been  induced  to  engage  in  the 
enterprise  by  Ben  Wilford;  that  they  intended  to  proceed 
to  the  vicinity  of  Whitehall  in  the  Woodville,  where  the  in 
stigator  of  the  affair  had  declared  his  purpose  to  burn  the 
boat.  From  this  point  they  were  going  to  the  West,  dis 
posing  of  the  gold  in  small  sums  as  they  proceeded. 

The  two  robbers  were  marched  off  by  the  sheriff;  but 
nothing  was  heard  of  Ben  for  two  hours,  when  the  boy  who 
ran  the  ferry-boat,  returning  from  Pointville,  informed 
Mrs.  Wilford  that  he  had  gone  over  with  him.  The  con 
stable  followed,  as  soon  as  he  heard  in  what  direction  the 


144  Haste  and  Waste 

fugitive  had  gone.  He  was  not  taken  that  night,  and  the 
search  was  renewed  the  next  day,  but  with  no  better  result. 
It  was  afterward  ascertained  that  he  had  crossed  the  coun 
try  to  the  railroad,  and  taken  a  night  train.  Having 
worked  his  way  to  New  York,  he  shipped  in  a  vessel  bound 
to  the  East  Indies. 

It  cannot  be  denied  that  Lawry  and  his  mother,  and  even 
Mr.  Sherwood,  were  glad  of  his  escape,  though  he  was  more 
guilty  than  the  two  men  who  had  been  captured  and  were 
afterward  tried  and  sent  to  Sing  Sing.  The  little  captain 
and  the  engineer  of  the  WoodvUle  were  warmly  congratu 
lated  upon  the  safety  of  the  steamer,  when  it  was  known 
that  Ben  intended  to  burn  her  in  revenge  for  having  been 
made  a  "  nobody  " ;  but  Mr.  Sherwood  declared  that,  if  the 
boat  had  been  destroyed,  he  would  have  built  another,  and 
presented  her  to  Lawry  and  Ethan,  for  he  was  too  much 
interested  in  the  steamboat  experiment  to  have  it  aban 
doned. 

Mrs.  Wilford  trembled  when  she  learned  that  the  rob 
bers  had  been  armed  with  pistols.  Many  laughed  as  they, 
listened  to  the  account  of  the  choking  operation  in  the 
cabin,  and  everybody  was  satisfied  with  the  result. 

Lawry  and  Ethan  were  too  much  excited  to  sleep  that 
night,  though  they  turned  in  at  ten  o'clock.  At  midnight 
the  fireman  on  duty  called  them,  and  the  steamer  soon 
started  for  Whitehall  with  Mr.  Sherwood  and  his  gold, 
where  she  arrived  in  season  for  the  morning  train.  As  the 
party  did  not  start  till  nine  o'clock,  the  exhausted  pilot 
and  engineer  obtained  a  couple  of  hours'  sleep,  while  the 
steamer  lay  at  the  wharf,  which  enabled  them  to  get 
through  the  day  without  sinking  under  its  fatigues. 

The  following  day  was  Sunday ;  and  though  Lawry  and 
Ethan  went  to  church  in  the  forenoon,  as  both  of  them  were 
in  the  habit  of  doing,  the  day  was  literally  a  day  of  rest  to 
them,  and  there  was  a  great  deal  of  "  tall  sleeping  "  done. 
On  Monday  morning,  at  six  o'clock,  the  boat  went  to 
Ticonderoga,  arriving  in  good  season  to  keep  her  engage 
ment. 


Haste  and  Waste  145 

Our  limits  do  not  permit  us  to  follow  Captain  Lawry  and 
the  beautiful  little  steamer  any  farther.  The  young  pilot 
has  redeemed  the  fairy  craft  from  the  bottom  of  the  lake, 
and  overcome  all  obstacles  in  his  path  to  prosperity.  He 
was  not  again  disturbed  by  the  envy  and  jealousy  of  his 
brother.  He  was  sad  when  he  thought  of  his  father  in 
prison,  and  Ben  an  exile,  banished  by  his  misdeeds;  but 
their  errors  only  made  him  the  stronger  in  the  faith  he  had 
chosen,  that  fidelity  to  principle  is  the  safest  and  happiest 
course,  under  all  circumstances. 

Lawry  had  all  the  business  he  could  do  with  the  Wood- 
Z'ille.  On  the  following  week,  another  pilot  and  another  en 
gineer  were  obtained,  and  the  price  raised  to  sixty  dollars 
a  day,  in  conformity  with  the  suggestion  of  Mr.  Sherwood. 
This  was  especially  necessary,  as,  during  the  bright  moon 
light  evenings,  in  the  latter  part  of  the  month,  the  Wood- 
Title  was  employed  every  night  in  taking  oat  parties.  The 
boat  lay  hardly  an  hour  at  a  time  at  the  wharf.  The  money 
came  in  so  fast  that  Mrs.  Wilford  was  bewildered  at  the 
riches  which  were  flowing  in  upon  them.  By  the  advice  of 
Mr.  Sherwood  the  money  was  invested  in  government 
stocks ;  but  he  resolutely  refused  to  accept  payment  for 
what  he  had  advanced  on  the  place  or  for  the  boat. 

Early  one  evening,  after  Lawry  had  landed  Mr.  Sher 
wood's  party  at  Port  Rock,  he  started  for  Burlington, 
where  he  had  an  engagement  on  the  following  day.  Half 
a  mile  above  the  wharf,  he  came  up  with  a  schooner,  which 
on  examination  proved  to  be  the  Misslsque.  It  was  a  dead 
calm,  and  her  new  mainsail  hung  motionless  from  the  gaff. 
The  little  captain  had  not  seen  her  skipper  since  the  day 
on  which  the  old  sail  had  been  blown  from  the  bolt-ropes  by 
the  squall;  and  he  ran  the  Woodville  alongside  of  her,  in 
order  "  to  pass  the  time  of  day  "  with  him. 

"  How  are  you,  Captain  John  ?  "  shouted  the  young  pilot. 

"  Why,  Lawry !  How  are  you?  "  replied  the  skipper  of 
the  sloop. 

"  What  are  you  doing  here  ?  "  continued  Lawry. 

"  Waitin'  for  a  breeze  of  wind.     I  had  a  good  freight 


146  Haste  and  Waste 

promised  to  me  if  I  got  to  Burlington  by  to-morrow  morn- 
in%  but  I  guess  I  sha'n't  quite  fetch  it." 

"  Rounds,  heave  a  stern-line  to  the  sloop,  and  make  fast 
to  her,"  added  Lawry  to  his  mate. 

"  Oh,  thank  ye,  Lawry,"  replied  the  grateful  skipper. 

"  You  and  your  wife  must  take  supper  with  me." 

"  Well,  Lawry,  I  always  knowed  you  was  smart,"  said 
Captain  John. 

"  If  I  didn't  get  that  mainsail  down,"  laughed  Lawry. 

"  Oh,  never  mind  the  mainsail,  Lawry,"  added  the  skip 
per,  blushing.  "  I  was  a  leetle  riled  that  time,  and  it  wan't 
your  fault." 

"  I  think  the  green-apple  pies  made  the  mischief.  Mrs. 
Light  makes  very  nice  ones,  and  we  will  have  some  for  sup 
per,"  continued  Lawry,  as  he  conducted  his  guests  to  the 
cabin,  where  they  sat  down  at  the  table. 

Captain  John  and  his  wife  were  bewildered  at  the  splen 
dors  which  surrounded  them,  and  at  the  grandeur  of  Cap 
tain  Lawry;  but  they  passed  a  pleasant  evening  on  board 
till  ten  o'clock,  when  the  Woodville  cast  off  her  "  tow  "  in 
Burlington  Bay. 

The  upright  piano,  the  gift  of  Miss  Fanny,  had  been 
placed  in  the  saloon,  and  its  sweet  strains  added  to  the  en 
joyment  of  every  party  that  employed  the  steamer.  Ethan 
French,  now  relieved  of  part  of  his  duties  by  the  employ 
ment  of  a  second  engineer,  was  never  in  better  humor  than 
when  Fanny  Jane,  seated  at  this  instrument,  sang  the  songs 
she  had  sung  to  Wahena  and  himself  on  the  lake  island  in 
Minnesota. 

In  September,  the  business  of  the  Woodville,  as  an  ex 
cursion  boat,  began  to  fall  off,  and  by  the  middle  of  the 
month  it  was  at  an  end.  The  season  had  been  very  profit 
able,  and  Lawry's  account-book  showed  that  the  boat  had 
been  employed  forty-one  days,  besides  nine  evenings,  the  net 
profits  of  which  were  nearly  fifteen  hundred  dollars,  all  of 
which  was  in  the  bank,  or  invested  in  government  securities. 

While  Captain  Lawry  was  considering  the  practicability 
of  running  the  Woodville  between  certain  places  on  the  lake 


Haste  and  Waste  147 

as  a  passenger-boat,  he  was  startled  by  receiving  a  huge 
government  envelope,  containing  a  liberal  offer  for  the  use 
of  his  steamer  as  a  despatch  boat  on  southern  rivers.  An 
army  officer,  of  high  rank,  who  had  been  a  member  of  one 
of  the  excursion  parties  in  August,  had  been  delighted  with 
the  performance  of  the  little  craft,  and  had  spoken  to  Cap 
tain  Lawry  on  this  subject;  but  the  matter  had  been  quite 
forgotten  when  the  offer  came.  Mr.  Sherwood  and  Mrs. 
Wilford  were  consulted,  and  an  affirmative  answer  returned. 
Ethan  was  delighted  at  the  prospect  of  going  South,  for  he 
desired  to  visit  the  scene  of  hostilities,  and,  if  possible,  to 
be  employed  in  active  operations. 

The  Woodinlle  went  in  October,  and  returned  in  April, 
when  the  war  was  finished.  Of  Captain  Lawry's  voyage 
out  and  back,  and  his  adventures  far  up  in  the  enemy's 
country,  we  have  no  space  to  speak;  but  the  steamer  and 
her  little  commander  gave  perfect  satisfaction. 

In  June,  when  the  Woodville  had  been  thoroughly  re 
paired  and  painted,  after  her  hard  service  at  the  South, 
there  was  a  demand  for  her  as  an  excursion  boat;  and  it 
continued  through  the  season.  With  one  of  Mr.  Sherwood's 
parties,  in  July,  there  was  an  eminent  member  of  the  State 
Government,  who  was  greatly  pleased  with  Lawry's  past 
history,  as  well  as  with  his  agreeable  manners,  and  his  close 
attention  to  his  business.  Through  this  gentleman,  an  ef 
fort,  warmly  seconded  by  Mr.  Randall,  the  bank  director, 
was  made  to  obtain  the  pardon  of  John  Wilford.  It  was 
successful,  and  the  ferryman  returned  to  his  home  a  wiser 
and  a  better  man. 

He  was  astonished  at  the  operations  of  his  son,  and  sur 
prised  at  the  prosperity  which  had  attended  his  family  dur 
ing  his  absence.  The  cottage  had  been  enlarged,  repaired, 
painted,  and  partly  refurnished.  It  was  a  new  home  to 
him;  and,  profiting  by  the  experience  of  the  past,  he  re 
sumed  his  labor  as  a  ferryman,  striving  to  be  contented 
with  his  lot. 

Ethan  French  does  not  tire  of  his  pet,  the  engine  of  the 


148  Haste  and  Waste 

Woodville,  though  it  must  be  acknowledged  that  he  has  a 
divided  heart  when  Fanny  Jane  is  on  board. 

Mrs.  Wilford,  her  confidence  in  her  "  smart  boy  "  fully 
justified,  and  rejoicing  in  the  prosperity  which  attends 
him,  is  still  happy  and  contented  in  doing  a  mother's  whole 
duty  to  her  large  family  of  little  ones,  hoping  that  all  of 
them  will  "  turn  out  "  as  well  as  her  second  son. 

During  the  Woodville's  second  business  season,  she  was 
employed  by  a  party  of  wealthy  gentlemen,  for  a  week,  in 
going  round  the  lake.  She  had  descended  the  Richelieu  to 
St.  Johns,  from  which  the  party  ran  up  to  Montreal  for  a 
day,  returning  to  the  boat  in  the  evening.  Though  the 
time  for  which  the  boat  was  engaged  was  not  up  till  the 
next  evening,  some  of  the  gentlemen  were  very  anxious  to 
be  in  Burlington  on  the  following  morning,  and  insisted 
that  the  steamer  should  immediately  proceed  up  the  river 
on  her  return.  It  was  a  very  dark  and  foggy  night,  and 
Lawry  declined  to  start,  declaring  that  he  could  not  run 
with  safety  to  the  boat  and  passengers. 

The  party  continued  to  insist  upon  their  point,  adding 
that  if  he  was  a  competent  pilot  there  could  be  no  difficulty 
in  complying  with  their  wishes.  They  were  gentlemen  of 
wealth  and  influence,  and  the  little  captain  did  not  like  to 
disoblige  them.  He  argued  the  question  with  them,  and 
pointed  to  the  motto  in  the  wheel-house.  They  laughed  at 
him  and  his  motto.  There  was  to  be  a  "  trot  "  between 
two  celebrated  horses,  at  Burlington,  and  they  were  too 
anxious  to  witness  the  race  to  be  entirely  reasonable. 

Captain  Lawry  was  firm,  and  the  gentlemen  were  angry 
and  indignant.  While  they  were  debating  the  question  in 
excited  tones,  another  steamer  left  the  wharf,  bound  up  the 
river.  Her  departure  seemed  to  spoil  the  young  pilot's  ar 
gument.  The  party  tried  to  hail  the  steamer  in  the  fog, 
wishing  Lawry  to  put  them  on  board  of  her;  but  her  people 
did  not  hear  their  demand,  or  would  not  stop  for  them,  and 
the  party  were  highly  incensed  at  what  they  called  the  ob 
stinacy  of  Lawry. 

"  Haste  and  waste,  gentlemen,"  replied  the  little  captain. 


Haste  and  Waste  149 

"  The  river  is  narrow  and  crooked,  and  there  is  great  dan 
ger  of  getting  aground  if  I  attempt  to  run  in  this  fog." 

"  That  other  steamer  has  gone,  and  if  she  can  run,  you 
can,  if  you  know  your  business,"  replied  one  of  the  gen 
tlemen. 

"  I'm  very  sorry ;  but  I  don't  think  we  should  gain  any 
thing  by  starting  now,"  added  Lawry. 

Finding  it  was  useless  to  insist  any  longer,  the  party 
took  supper,  and  turned  in,  when  their  anger  had  partially 
subsided.  The  little  captain  did  not  retire  that  night;  he 
"  planked  the  deck,"  and  watched  the  weather.  It  was  a 
seven  hours'  run  to  Burlington,  and  the  "  trot  "  was  to 
come  off  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  forenoon.  He  still  hoped 
that  he  should  be  able  to  satisfy  his  unreasonable  party. 

At  midnight  the  wind  chopped  round  to  the  westward, 
and  blew  the  fog  over.  At  one  o'clock  the  Woodville  was 
going  up  the  river  at  full  speed.  At  three  o'clock  she  came 
up  with  the  steamer  which  had  started  from  St.  Johns  four 
hours  before,  hard  and  fast  aground.  She  hailed  the  little 
Woodville,  and  requested  assistance.  Lawry  took  a  hawser 
on  board,  and  gave  her  a  few  pulls ;  but  she  was  too  hard 
on  the  sand  to  be  started,  and  he  was  compelled  to  abandon 
her.  The  commotion  caused  by  these  operations  awoke 
some  of  the  gentlemen  in  the  cabin  of  the  Woodville,  and 
they  came  on  deck  to  learn  the  occasion  of  it. 

"What's  the  trouble,  Captain  Lawry?"  asked  one  of 
them. 

"  Haste  and  waste,"  replied  the  young  pilot  senten- 
tiously. 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  Nothing,  only  the  boat  which  left  St.  Johns  four  hours 
before  us  is  aground,  and  can't  get  off." 

"  Well,  haste  and  waste  does  mean  something,  after  all," 
laughed  the  speaker. 

The  gentlemen  went  to  bed  again;  the  Woodville  con 
tinued  on  her  course,  and  when  the  party  came  on  deck,  at 
seven  in  the  morning,  she  was  in  sight  of  Burlington.  Of 
course,  the  excursionists  were  delighted  to  be  able  to  attend 


150 


Haste  and  Waste 


the  "  trot."  At  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  the  steamer 
which  had  grounded  reached  Burlington.  Some  of  Lawry's 
party  came  on  board  in  the  evening  to  settle  their  accounts 
with  the  boat.  They  were  gentlemen,  and  they  acknowl 
edged  their  error,  and  apologized  for  the  strong  language 
they  had  used. 

"  Well,  gentlemen,  I  am  very  glad  you  are  satisfied," 
said  Lawry,  as  he  put  their  money  in  his  pocket.  "  I  shall 
still  believe  in  and  follow  my  motto — HASTE  AND  WASTE." 


THE    END 


DEBATE  WITH  DOUGLAS. 

"fr  -ft> 


MR.  LINCOLN'S  DEBATE  WITH  DOUGLAS. 


His  Celebrated  Reply. 

DELIVERED  AT  CHICAGO  JULY  10,  1858. 

MY  FELLOW-CITIZENS:  On  yesterday  evening,  upon  the 
occasion  of  the  reception  given  to  Senator  Douglas,  I  was 
furnished  with  a  seat  very  convenient  for  hearing  him,  and 
was  otherwise  very  courteously  treated  by  him  and  his 
friends,  for  which  I  thank  him  and  them. 

During  the  course  of  his  remarks  my  name  was  men 
tioned  in  such  a  way  as,  I  suppose,  renders  it  at  least  not 
improper  that  T  should  make  some  sort  of  reply  to  him.  I 
shall  not  attempt  to  follow  him  in  the  precise  order  in 
which  he  addressed  the  assembled  multitude  upon  that 
occasion,  though  I  shall  perhaps  do  so  in  the  main. 

THE   ALLEGED   ALLIANCE. 

There  was  one  question  to  which  he  called  the  atten 
tion  of  the  crowd,  which  I  deem  of  somewhat  less  impor 
tance — at  least  of  propriety  for  me  to  dwell  upon — thaa 
the  others,  which  he  brought  in  near  the  close  of  his  speeco 


362  LINCOLN'S  STORIES  AND  SPEECHES. 

and  which  I  think  it  would  not  be  entirely  proper  for  me 
to  omit  attending  to,  and  yet  if  I  were  not  to  give  some 
attention  to  it  now,  I  should  probably  forget  it  alto 
gether. 

While  I  am  upon  this  subject  allow  me  to  say  that  I  do 
not  intend  to  indulge  in  inconvenient  modes  sometimes 
adopted  in  pulbic  speaking,  of  reading  from  documents; 
but  I  shall  depart  from  that  rule  so  far  as  to  read  a  little 
scrap  from  his  speech,  which  notices  this  first  topic  of 
which  I  speak — that  is,  provided  I  can  find  it  in  the  pa 
per. 

[Examines  the  morning's  paper  and  reads:] 

'  'I  have  made  up  my  mind  to  appeal  to  the  people 
against  the  combination  against  me!  the  Republican  lead 
ers  having  formed  an  alliance,  an  unholy  and  unnatural 
alliance  with  a  portion  of  unscrupulous  federal  office 
holders.  I  intend  to  fight  that  allied  army  wherever  I 
meet  them. 

I  know  they  deny  the  alliance,  but  yet  these  men  who 
are  trying  to  divide  the  Democratic  party  for  the  pur 
pose  of  electing  a  Republican  Senator  in  my  place,  are 
just  as  much  the  agents  and  tools  of  the  supporters  of  Mr. 
Lincoln.  Hence  I  shall  deal  with  this  allied  army  just  as 
the  Russians  deal  with  the  allies  at  Sebastopol — that  is, 
the  Russians  did  not  stop  to  inquire  when  they  fired  a 
broadside,  whether  it  hit  an  Englishman,  a  Frenchman  or 
a  Turk. 

Nor  will  I  stop  to  inquire,  nor  shall  I  hesitate  whether 
my  blows  shall  hit  these  Republican  leaders  or  their  allies 
who  are  holding  the  Federal  offices  and  yet  acting  in  con- 
Cert  with  them." 


DEBATE  WITH  DOUGLAS.  363 

Well,  now,  gentlemen,  is  not  that  very  alarming?  Just 
think  of  it!  right  at  the  outset  of  his  canvass,  I,  a  poor, 
kind,  amiable,  intelligent  gentleman,  I  am  to  be  slain  in 
this  way.  Why,  my  friends,  the  Judge  is  not  only,  as  it 
turns  out,  not  a  dead  lion,  nor  even  a  living  one — he  is 
the  rugged  Russian  Bear! 

[Laughter  and  applause.] 

But  if  they  will  have  it — for  he  says  that  we  deny  it — 
that  there  is  any  alliance,  as  he  says  there  is —  and  I  don't 
propose  hanging  very  much  upon  this  question  of  veracity 
— but  if  he  will  have  it  and  there  is  such  an  alliance — that 
the  admisistration  men  and  we  are  allied,  and  we  stand 
in  the  attitude  ofEnglish,  French  and  Turk,  he  occupying 
the  position  of  the  Russian,  in  that  case,  I  beg  that  he  will 
indulge  us  while  we  barely  suggest  to  him  that  these  allies 
tookSebastopol!  [Great  applause.] 

Gentlemen,  only  a  few  more  words  as  to  this  alliance . 
For  my  part  I  have  to  say,  that  whether  there  be  such  an 
alliance,  depends,  so  far  as  I  know,  of  what  may  be  a  right 
definition  of  the  term  alliance.  If  for  the  Republican 
party  to  see  the  other  great  party  to  which  they  are  op 
posed  divided  among  themselves,  and  not  try  to  stop  the 
division  and  rather  be  glad  of  it — if  that  is  an  alliance,  I 
confess  I  am  in;  but  if  it  is  meant  to  be  said  that  the  Re 
publicans  formed  an  alliance  going  beyond  that,  by  which 
there  is  contribution  of  money  or  sacrifice  of  principle  on 
the  one  side  or  other,  so  far  as  the  Republican  party  is 
concerned,  if  there  be  any  such  thing,  I  protest  that  I 
neither  know  anything  of  it,  nor  do  I  believe  it. 

I  will,  however,  Gay— as  I  think  this  branch  of  the  ar 
gument  is  lugged  in — 1  would  before  I  leave  it  state,  for 
the  b«jnefh  o*  thr-si  concerned,  that  one  of  those  same 


364  LINCOLN'S  STORIES  AD  SPEECHES. 

Buchanan  men  did  once  tell  me  of  an  argument  that  he 
made  for  his  opposition  to  Judge  Douglas. 

He  said  that  a  friend  of  our  Senator  Douglas  had  been 
talking  to  him,  and  had  among  other  things  said  to  him: 
'Why,  you  don't  want  to  beat  Douglas?"  "Yes,"  said  he, 
"'I  do  want  to  beat  him,  and  I  will  tell  you  why.  I  be 
lieve  his  original  Nebraska  bill  was  right  in  the  abstract, 
but  it  was  wrong  in  the  time  it  was  brought  forward.  It 
was  wrong  in  the  application  to  a  Territory  in  regard  to 
which  the  question  had  been  settled;  it  was  tendered  to 
the  South  when  the  South  had  not  asked  for  it,  but  when 
they  could  not  refuse  it. 

"And  for  this  same  reason  he  forced  that  question  upon 
our  party;  it  has  sunk  the  best  men  all  over  the  nation, 
everywhere,  and  now  when  our  President,  struggling  with 
the  difficulty  of  this  man's  getting  up,  has  reached  the 
very  hardest  point  to  turn  in  the  case,  he  deserts  him, 
and  I  am  for  putting  him  where  he  will  trouble  us  no 
more." 

Now,  gentfemen,  that  is  not  my  argument  at  all.  I 
have  only  been  stating  to  you  the  argument  of  a  Buchan 
an  man.  You  will  judge  if  there  is  any  force  in  it. 

WHAT   IS    POPULAR   SOVEREIGNTY. 

Popular  sovereignty!  everlasting  popular  sovereignty! 
Let  us  for  a  moment  inquire  into  the  vast  matter  of  pop 
ular  soverignty.  What  is  popular  sovereignty?  We  rec 
ollect  that  in  an  early  period  in  the  history  of  this  strug 
gle,  there  was  another  name  for  the  same  thing — Squat- 
fer  Sovereignty.  It  was  not  exactly  Popular  Sovereignty 
but  Squatter  Sovereignty. 


DEBATE  WITH  DOUGLAS.  36$ 

What  do  those  terms  mean?  What  do  those  terms 
mean  when  used  now? 

And  vast  credit  is  taken  by  our  friend,  the  Judge,  in  re 
gard  to  his  support  of  it,  when  he  declares  the  last  years 
ot  his  life  have  been  and  all  the  future  years  shall  be  de 
voted  to  this  matter  of  popular  soverignty.  What  is  it? 
Why  it  is  the  sovereignty  of  the  people!  What  wassquat- 
ter  sovereignty?  I  suppose  if  it  had  any  significance  at 
all  it  was  the  right  of  the  people  to  govern  themselves,  to 
be  sovereign  in  their  own  affairs  while  they  had  squatted 


THE  SQUATTER'S  HOME. 

on  a  Territory  that  did  not  belong  to  them,  in  the  sense 
that,  a  State  belongs  to  the  people  who  inhabit  it — when 
it  belonged  to  the  nation — such  right  to  govern  them 
selves  was  called  "Squatter  Sovereignty." 

Now  I  wish  you  to  mark.  What  has  become  of  that 
Squatter  Sovereignty?  What  has  become  of  it?  Can 
you  get  anybody  to  tell  you  now  that  the  people  of  a 
Territory  have  any  authority  to  govern  themselves  in  re 
gard  to  this  mooted  question  of  slavery,  before  they  form 
a  State  Constitution? 

No  such  thing  at  all,  although  there  is  a  general  run 
ning  fire,  and  although  there  has  been  a  hurrah  made  in 
every  speech  on  that  side,  assuming  that  policy  had  giv- 


366  LINCOLN'S  STORIES  AND  SPEECHES. 

en  the  people  of  the  Territory  a  right  to  govern  them 
selves  upon  this  question;  yet  the  point  is  dodged.  To 
day  it  has  been  decided — no  more  than  a  year  ago  it  had 
been  decided  by  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States, 
and  is  insisted  upon  to-day,  that  the  people  of  a  Terri 
tory  have  no  right  to  exclude  slavery  from  a  Territory, 
and  if  any  one  man  chooses  to  take  slaves  into  a  Terri 
tory,  all  the  rest  of  the  people  have  no  right  to  keep  him 
out. 

This  being  so,  and  this  decision  being  made  one  of  the 
points  that  the  Judge  approved,  and  one  in  the  approval 
of  which  he  says  he  means  to  keep  me  down — put  me 
down  I  should  not  say,  for  I  have  never  been  up,  he 
says  he  is  in  favor  of  it,  and  sticks  to  it,  and  expects  to 
win  his  battle  on  that  decision  which  says  there  is  no  such 
thing  as  Squatter  Sovereignty,  but  that  any  man  may 
take  slaves  into  a  Territory,  aud  all  the  men  may  be  op 
posed  to  it,  and  yet  by  reason  of  the  Constitution  they 
cannot  prohibit  it. 

When  that  is  so,  how  much  is  left  of  this  matter  of 
Squatter  Sovereignty,  I  should  like  to  know? 

[A  voice — "It  is  all  gone."] 

When  we  get  back,  we  get  to  the  point  of  the  right  of 
the  people  to  make  a  Constitution.  Kansas  was  settled, 
for  example,  in  1854.  It  was  a  Territory  yet,  without 
having  formed  a  Constitution,  in  a  very  regular  way,  for 
three  years. 

All  this  time  negro  slavery  could  be  taken  in  by  any 
few  individuals,  and  by  that  decision  of  the  Supreme 
Court,  which  the  Judges  approve,  all  the  rest  of  the  peo 
ple  cannot  keep  it  out;  but  when  they  come  to  make  a 
Constitution  they  may  say  they  will  not  have  slavery . 


DEBATE  WITH  DOUGLAS.  367 

But  it  is  there;  they  are  obliged  to  tolerate  it  in  some 
way,  and  all  experience  shows  it  will  be  so — for  they  will 
not  take  negro  slaves  and  absolutely  deprive  the  owners 
of  them. 

All  experience  shows  this  to  be  so.  All  that  space  of 
time  that  runs  from  the  beginning  of  the  settlement  of 
the  Territory  until  there  is  sufficiency  of  people  to  make 
a  State  Constitution — all  that  portion  of  time  Popular 
Sovereignty  is  given  up. 

The  seal  is  absolutely  put  down  upon  it  by  the  Court 
decision,  and  Judge  Douglas  puts  his  own  on  the  top  of 
that,  yet  he  is  appealing  to  the  people  to  give  him  vast 
credit  for  his  devotion  to  popular  sovereignty. 

[Applause.] 

Again,  when  we  get  to  the  question  of  the  right  of  peo 
ple  to  form  a  State  Constitution  as  they  please,  to  form 
with  slavery  or  without  slavery — if  that  is  anything  new, 
I  confess  I  don't  know  it.  Has  there  ever  been  a  time 
when  anybody  said  that  any  other  than  the  people  of  a 
Territory  itself  should  form  a  Constitution?  What  is 
now  in  it  that  Douglas  should  have  fought  several  years 
of  his  life,  and  pledge  himself  to  fight  all  the  remaining 
years  of  his  life  for? 

Can  Judge  Douglas  find  anybody  on  earth  that  said 
anybody  else  should  form  a  Constitution  for  a  people? 
[A  voice — "Yes."]  Well,  I  should  like  you  to  name  him 
— I  should  like  to  know  who  he  was  [same  voice — "John 
Calhoun 

Mr.  Lincoln — No,  sir,  I  never  heard  of  even  John  Cal 
houn  saying  such  a  thing.  He  insisted  on  the  same  prin 
ciple  as  Judge  Douglas;  but  his  mode  of  applying  it  in 
fact,  was  wrong.  It  is  enough  for  my  purpose  to  ask  this 


368  LINCOLN'S  STORIES  AND  SPEECHES. 

crowd,  when  ever  a  Republican  said  anything  against  it? 
They  never  said  anything  against  it,  but  they  have  con 
stantly  spoken  for  it;  and  whosoever  will  undertake  to 
examine  the  platform,  and  the  speeches  of  responsible 
men  of  the  party,  and  of  irresponsible  men,  too,  if  you 
please,  will  be  unable  to  find  one  word  from  anybody  in 
the  Republican  ranks  opposed  to  that  Popular  Soverign- 
ty  which  Judge  Douglas  thinks  that  he  has  invented. 
[Applause.] 

I  suppose  that  Judge  Douglas  will  claim  in  a  little  while 
that  he  is  the  inventor  of  the  idea  that  the  people  should 
govern  themselves;  that  nobody  ever  thought  of  such  a 
thing  until  he  brought  it  forward.  We  do  remember,  that 
in  the  old  Declaration  of  Independence,  it  is  said  that 
"We  hold  these  truths  to  be  self-evident,  that  all  men 
are  created  equal;  that  they  are  endowed  by  their  Crea 
tor  with  certain  inalienable  rights;  that  among  these  are 
life,  liberty,  and  the  pursuit  of  happiness;  that  to  secure 
these  rights,  governments  are  instituted  among  men,  de 
riving  their  just  powers  from  the  consent  of  the  govern 
ed."  There  is  the  origin  of  Popular  Sovereignty. 

[Loud  applause.] 

Who,  then,  shall  come  in  at  this  day  and  say  that  he 
invented  it? 

[After  referring,  in  appropriate  terms,  to  the  credit 
claimed  by  Douglas  for  defeating  the  Lecompton  policy, 
Mr.  Lincoln  proceeds.] 

I  defy  you  to  show  a  printed  resolution  passed  in  a 
Democratic  meeting — I  take  it  upon  myself  to  defy  any 
man  to  show  a  printed  resolution  of  a  Democratic  meet 
ing,  large  or  small,  in  favor  of  Judge  Trumbull,  or  any 


DEBATE  WITH  DOUGLAS.  369 

of  the  five  to  one  Republicans  who  beat  that  bill.   Every 
thing  must  be  for  the  Democrats. 

They  did  everything,  and  the  five  to  the  one  that  really 
did  the  thing,  they  snub  over,  and  they  do  not  seem  to 
remember  that  they  have  an  existence  upon  the  face  of 
the  earth. 

A    HOUSE    DIVIDED    AGAINST     ITSELF    CANNOT   STAND. 


THE   OLD   AND    DIVIDED   JERUSALEM    WHICH    FELL. 

Gentlemen,  I  fear  that  I  shall  become  tedious.  I  leave 
this  branch  of  the  subject  to  take  hold  of  another.  I  take 
up  that  part  of  Judge  Douglas'  speech  in  which  he  respect 
fully  attended  to  me. 

Judge  Douglas  made  two  points  upon  my  recent  speech 


37°  LINCOLN'S  si  OR  IBS  AND  SPEECHES. 

at  Springfield.  He  says  they  are  to  be  the  issues  of  this 
campaign.  The  first  one  of  these  points  he  bases  upon  the 
language  in  a  speech  which  I  delivered  at  Springfield, 
which  I  believe  I  can  quote  correctly  from  memory.  I 
said  there  that  ' '  we  are  now  far  on  in  the  fifth  year  when 
a  policy  was  instituted  for  the  avowed  object,  and  with  the 
confident  promise  of  putting  and  end  to  slavery  agitation; 
under  the  operation  or  that  policy  that  agitation  had  not 
only  not  ceased,  but  had  constantly  augmented.  I  be 
lieve  it  will  not  cease  until  a  crisis  shall  have  been  reach 
ed  and  passed. 

A  house  divided  against  itself  can  not  stand.  I  believe 
this  government  can  not  endure  permanently  half  slave 
and  half  free. 

I  do  not  expect  the  Union  to  be  dissolved — I  am  quot 
ing  from  my  speech — I  do  not  expect  the  house  to  fall, 
but  I  do  expect  it  will  cease  to  be  divided.  It  will  come  all 
one  thing  or  the  other.  Either  the  opponents  of  slavery 
will  arrest  the  spread  of  it,  and  place  it  where  the  public 
mind  shall  rest  in  the  belief  that  it  is  in  the  course  of  ulti 
mate  extinction,  or  its  advocates  will  push  it  forward  until 
it  shall  have  become  alike  lawful  in  all  the  States,  North 
as  well  as  South. 

In  this  paragraph  which  I  have  quoted  in  your  hearing, 
and  to  which  I  ask  the  attention  of  all,  Judge  Douglas 
thinks  he  discovered  great  political  heresy.  I  want  your 
attention  particularly  to  what  he  has  inferred  from  it.  He 
says  I  am  in  favor  of  making  all  the  States  of  the  Union 
uniform.  He  draws  this  inference  from  the  language  I 
have  quoted  to  you. 

He  says  that  I  am  in  favor  of  making  war  by  the  North 
upon  the  South  for  the  extinction  of  slavery;  that  I  am 


DEBATE  WITH  DOUGLAS. 


371 


also  in  favor  of  inviting,  as  he  expresses  it,  the  South  to  a 
war  upon  the  North,  for  the  purpose  of  nationalizing  slav 
ery.  Now,  it  is  singular  enough,  if  you  will  carefully 
read  the  passage  over,  that  I  did  not  say  that  I  was  in  f  a- 


HALF  SLAVE  AND  HALF  FREE. 

vorof  any  such  thing  in  it.      I  only  said  what  I  expected 
would  take  place. 

I  made  a  prediction  only — it  may  have  been  a  foolish 
one  perhaps.     I  did  not  even  say  that  I  desired  that  slav- 


372  LINCOLN'S  STORIES  AND  SPEECHES. 

ery  should  be  put  in  course  of  ultimate  extinction.  I  do 
say  so,  now,  however,  so  there  need  be  no  longer  any 
difficulty  about  that.  It  may  be  written  down  in  the 
next  speech. 

Gentlemen,  Judge  Douglas  informed  you  that  this 
speech  of  mine  was  probably  carefully  prepared.  I  ad 
mit  that  it  was.  I  am  not  master  of  language ;  I  have 
not  a  fine  education;  I  am  not  capable  of  entering  into  a 
disquisition  upon  dialects,  as  I  believe  you  call  it;  but  I 
don't  believe  the  language  I  employed  bears  any  such  con 
struction  as  Judge  Douglas  puts  upon  it. 

But  I  don't  care  about  a  quibble  in  regard  to  words.  I 
know  what  I  meant,  and  I  will  not  leave  this  crowd  in 
doubt,  if  I  can  explain  it  to  them,  what  I  really  meant 
in  the  use  of  that  paragraph . 

I  am  not,  in  the  first  place,  unaware  that  this  govern 
ment  has  endured  eighty-two  years  half  slave  and  half 
free.  I  know  that.  I  am  tolerably  well  acquainted  with 
the  history  of  the  country,  and  I  know  that  it  has  endur 
ed  eighty-two  years  half  slave  and  half  free.  I  believe — 
and  that  is  what  I  meant  to  allude  to  here — I  believe  it 
has  endured,  because  during  all  that  time,  until  the  in 
troduction  of  the  Nebraska  bill,  the  public  mind  did  rest 
all  the  time  in  the  belief  that  slavery  was  in  the  course  of 
ultimate  extinction. 

That  was  what  gave  us  the  rest  that  we  had  during  that 
period  of  eighty-two  years;  at  least,  so  I  believe.  I  have 
always  hated  slavery,  I  think,  as  much  as  any  Abolition 
ist.  I  have  been  an  old  line  Whig.  I  have  always  hated 
it,  but  I  have  always  been  quiet  about  it  until  this  new 
era  of  the  introduction  of  the  Nebraska  bill  began.  I  have 
always  believed  that  everybody  was  against  it,  and  that 


DEBATE  WITH  DOUGLAS.  373 

it  was  in  the  course  of  ultimate  extinction.  [Pointing  to 
Mr.  Browning,  who  stood  near  by:]  Browning  thought 
so;  the  great  mass  of  the  nation  have  rested  in  the  belief 
that  slavery  was  in  course  of  ultimate  extinction.  They 
had  reason  so  to  believe. 

The  adoption  of  the  Constitution  and  its  attendant  his 
tory  led  the  people  to  believe  so;  and  that  such  was  the 
belief  of  the  framers  of  the  Constitution  itself. 

Why  did  those  old  men,  about  the  time  of  the  adop 
tion  of  the  Constitution,  decree  that  slavery  should  not 
go  into  the  new  territory,  where  it  had  not  already  gone? 
Why  declare  that  within  twenty  years  the  African  slave 
trade,  by  which  slaves  are  supplied,  might  be  cut  off  by 
Congress?  Why  were  all  these  acts? 

I  might  enumerate  more    of   such    acts;  but    enough. 

What  were  they  but  a  clear  indication  that  the  framers 
of  the  Constitution  intended  and  expected  the  ultimate 
extinction  of  that  institution?  (Cheers.) 

And  now  when  I  say,  as  I  said  in  this  speech  that 
Judge  Douglas  has  quoted  from,  when  I  say  that  I  think 
the  opponents  of  slavery  will  resist  the  further  spread  of 
it,  and  place  it  were  the  public  mind  shall  rest  with  the 
belief  that  it  is  in  the  course  of  ultimate  extinction.  I 
only  meant  to  say,  that  they  will  place  it  where  the 
foundation  of  this  Government  originally  placed  it. 

I  have  said  a  hundred  times,  I  have  no  inclination  to 
take  it  back  that  I  believe  there  is  no  right,  and  ought  to 
be  no  inclination  of  the  people  of  the  free  States  to  enter 
into  the  slave  States,  and  to  interfere  with  the  question 
of  slavery  at  all.  I  have  said  that  always.  Judge  Doug 
las  has  heard  me  say  it,  if  not  quite  a  hundred  times,  at 
least  as  good  as  a  hundred  times;  and  when  it  is  said  that 


374  LINCOLN'S  STORIES  AND  SPEECHES. 

I  am  in  favor  of  interfering  with  slavery  where  it  exists, 
I  know  it  is  unwarranted  by  anything  I  have  ever  intend 
ed,  and,  as  I  believe,  by  anything  I  have  ever  used  lan 
guage  which  could  be  fairly  so  constructed  (as,  however, 
I  believe  I  never  have),  I  now  correct  it. 

So  much,  then,  for  the  inference  that  Judge  Douglas 
draws,  that  I  am  in  favor  of  setting  the  sections  at  war 
with  one  another.  I  know  that  I  never  meant  any  such 
thing,  and  I  believe  that  no  fair  mind  can  infer  any  such 
thing,  from  anything  I  have  ever  said. 

SELF-GOVERNMENT. 

Now  in  relation  to  his  inference  that  I  am  in  favor  of  a 
general  consolidation  of  all  the  various  institutions  of  the 
various  States,  I  will  attend  to  that  for  a  little  while, 
and  try  to  inquire,  if  I  can,  how  on  earth  it  could  be  that 
any  man  could  draw  such  an  inference  from  anything  I 
said. 

I  have  said,  very  many  times,  in  Judge  Douglas  hear 
ing,  that  no  man  believed  more  than  I  in  the  principle  of 
self-government,  from  beginning  to  end.  I  have  denied 
his  use  of  that  term  applied  properly.  But  for  the 
thing  itself,  I  deny  that  any  man  has  gone  ahead  of  me 
in  his  devotion  to  the  principle,  whatever  he  may  have 
done  in  efficiency  in  advocating  it. 

I  think  that  I  have  said  in  your  hearing — that  I  be 
lieve  each  individual  is  naturally  entitled  to  do  as  he 
pleases  with  himself  and  the  fruit  of  his  labor,  so  far  as  it 
in  no  wise  interferes  with  any  other  man's  rights — [ap 
plause]  that  each  community,  or  a  State,  has  a  right  to 
do  exactly  as  it  pleases  with  the  concerns  within  that 
State  that  interfere  with  the  right  of  no  other  State,  and 


DEBATE  WITH  DOUGLAS.  3/5 

that  the  General  Government,  upon  principle,  has  no 
right  to  interfere  with  anything  other  than  that  general 
class  of  things  that  does  concern  the  whole.  I  have  said 
that  at  all  times. 

I  have  said  as  illustrations,  that  I  do  not  believe  in  the 
right  of  Illinois  to  interfere  with  the  cranberry  laws  of 
Indiana,  the  oyster  laws  of  Virginia,  or  the  liquor  laws  of 
Maine.  I  have  said  these  things  over  ana  over  again, 
and  I  repeat  them  here  as  my  sentiments. 

So  much  then  as  to  my  disposition,  my  wish, to  have  all 
the  State  Legislatures  blotted  out,  and  a  uniformity  of 
domestic  regulations  in  all  the  States;  by  which  I  suppose 
it  is  meant,  if  we  raise  corn  here,  we  must  make  sugar 
cane  too,  and  we  must  make  those  which  grow  North 
grow  in  the  South.  All  this  I  suppose  he  understands,  I 
am  in  favor  of  doing. 

Now  so  much  for  all  this  nonsense;  for  I  must  call  it 
so.  The  Judge  can  have  no  issue  with  me  on  a  question 
of  established  uniformity  in  the  domestic  regulations  of 
the  State. 

DRED   SCOTT   DECISION. 

A  little  now  on  the  other  point;  the  Dred  Scott  decis 
ion.  Another  of  the  issues  he  says  that  is  to  be  made 
with  me,  is  upon  his  devotion  to  the  Dred  Scott  decis 
ion,  and  my  opposition  to  it. 

I  have  expressed  heretofore,  and  I  now  repeat  my  op 
position  to  the  Dred  Scott  decision,  but  I  should  be  al 
lowed  to  state  the  nature  of  that  opposition,  and  I  ask 
your  indulgence  while  I  do  so.  What  is  fairly  implied 
by  the  term  which  Judge  Douglas  has  used,  '  'resistance 
to  the  decision?"  I  do  not  resist  it.  If  I  wanted  to  take 


376  LINCOLN'S  STORIES  AND  SPEECHES. 

Dred  Scott  from  his  master,  I  would  be  interfering  with 
property,  and  that  terrible  difficulty  that  Judge  Douglas 
speaks  of,  of  interfering  with  property  would  arise. 

But  I  am  doing  no  such  thing  as  that,  but  all  that  I  am 
doing  is  refusing  to  obey  it  as  a  political  rule.  If  I  were 
in  Congress  and  a  vote  should  come  up  on  a  question 
whether  slavery  should  be  prohibited  in  a  new  Territory, 
in  spite  of  the  Dred  Scott  decision,  I  would  vote  that 
it  should. 

That  is  what  I  would  do.  Judge  Douglas  said  last 
night,  that  before  the  decision  he  might  advance  his 
opinion,  and  it  might  be  contrary  to  the  decision  when  it 
was  made;  but  after  it  was  made  he  would  abide  by  it 
until  it  was  reversed.  Just  so!  We  let  this  property 
abide  by  the  decision,  but  we  will  try  to  reverse  that  de 
cision.  (Loud  applause.) 

We  will  try  to  put  it  where  Judge  Douglas  will  not  ob 
ject,  for  he  says  he  will  obey  it  until  it  is  reversed. 
Somebody  has  to  reverse  that  decision,  since  it  was  made, 
and  we  mean  to  reverse  it,  and  we  mean  to  do  it  peace 
ably. 

What  are  the  uses  of  decisions  of  courts?  They  have 
two  uses.  As  rules  of  property  they  have  two  uses. 
First;  they  decide  upon  the  question  before  the  court. 
They  decide  in  this  case  that  Dred  Scott  is  a  slave. 
Nobody  resists  that.  Not  only  that,  but  they  say  to 
everybody  else,  that  persons  standing  just  as  Dred  Scott 
stands,  is  as  he  is.  That  is,  that  when  a  question  comes 
up  upon  another  person,  it  will  be  so  decided  again  un 
less  the  court  decides  in  another  way,  unless  the  court 
overrules  its  decision.  (Renewed  applause.)  Well,  we 


DEBATE  WITH  DOUGLAS.  377 

mean  to  do  what  we  can  to  have   the  court    decide  the 
other  way.     That  is  one  thing  we  mean  to  try  to  do. 

The  sacredness  that  Judge  Douglas  throws  around  this 
decision,  is  a  degree  of  sacredness  that  has  never  been 
before  thrown  around  any  other  decision.  I  have  never 
heard  of  such  a  thing.  Why,  decisions n apparently  con 
trary  to  that  decision,  or  good  lawyers  thought  were  con 
trary  to  that  decision,  have  been  made  by  that  very 
court  before.  It  is  the  first  of  its  kind;  it  is  an  astonish- 
er  in  legal  history.  It  is  a  new  wonder  of  the  world,  it 
is  based  on  falsehoods  in  the  main  as  to  the  facts;  alle 
gations  of  facts  upon  which  it  stands  are  not  facts  at  all 
in  many  instances,  and  no  decision  made  on  any  ques 
tion;  the  first  instance  of  a  decision  made  under  so  many 
unfavorable  circumstances;  thus  placed,  has  ever  been 
held  by  the  profession  as  law,  and  it  has  always  needed 
Confirmation  before  the  lawyers  regarded  it  as  law.  But 
judge  Douglas  would  have  it  that  all  hands  must  take 
this  extraordinary  decision,  made  under  these  extraordin 
ary  circumstances,  and  give  their  vote  in  congress  in  ac- 
cort_/ance  with  it,  yield  to  it  and  obey  it  in  every  possible 
sense, 

Circumstances  alter  cases.  Do  not  gentlemen  here  re 
member  the  case  of  that  Supreme  Court,  twenty-five  of 
thirty  years  ago,  deciding  that  a  National  Bank  was  Con 
stitutional?  I  ask,  if  somebody  does  not  remember  that 
a  National  Bank  was  declared  to  be  Constitutional? 
Such  is  the  truth,  whether  it  be  remembered  or  not.  The 
bank  charter  ran  out,  and  a  re-charter  was  granted. 
That  re-charter  was  laid  before  General  Jackson. 

It  was  urged  upon  him,  when  he  denied  the  constitu 
tionality  of  the  bank,  that  the  Supreme  Court  had  decid* 


378 


LINCOLN'S  STORIES  AND  SPEECHES. 


ed  that  it  was  constitutional;  and  that  General  Jackson 
then  said  that  the  Supreme  Court  had  no  right  to  lay 
down  a  rule  to  govern  a  co-ordinate  branch  of  the  Gov 
ernment,  the  members  of  which  have  sworn  to  support 
the  Constitution;  that  each  member  had  sworn  to  sup 
port  that  Constitution  as  he  understood  it. 

I  will  venture  here  to  say,   that    I    have    heard  Judge 
Douglas  say  that  he  approved  of  General  Jackson  for  that 


act.     What  has  now  become  of  all  his  tirade  about   "re- 
sistence  to  the  Supreme  Court?" 

THE    DECLARATION   OF    INDEPENDENCE. 

We  were  often;  more  than  once,  at  least;  in  the  course 
of  Judge  Douglas'  speech  last  night,  reminded  that  this 
Government  was  made  for  white  men;  that  he  believed 


DEBATE  WITH  DOUGLAS.  379 

it  was  made  for  white  men.  Well  that  is  putting  it  into 
a  shape  in  which  no  one  wants  to  deny  it;  but  the  Judge 
then  goes  into  his  passion  for  drawing  inferences  that  are 
not  warranted. 

I  protest,  now  and  forever,  against  that  counterfeit 
logic  which  presumes  that  because  I  did  not  want  a 
negro  woman  for  a  slave,  I  do  not  necessarily  want  her 
for  a  wife.  My  understanding  is  that  I  need  not  have 
her  for  either;  but  as  God  made  us  separate,  we  can  leave 
one  another  alone,  and  do  one  another  much  good 
thereby. 

There  are  white  men  enough  to  marry  all  the  white 
women,  and  enough  black  men  to  marry  all  the  black 
women,  and  in  God's  name  let  them  be  so  married.  The 
Judge  regales  us  with  the  terrible  enormities  that  take 
place  by  the  mixture  of  races;  that  the  inferior  race  bears 
the  superior  down.  Why,  Judge,  if  you  do  not  let  them 
get  together  in  the  Territories  they  won't  mix  there! 

A  voice;  "Three  cheers  for  Lincoln."  (The  cheers 
were  given  with  a  hearty  good  will. 

Mr.  L. — I  should  say  at  least  that  this  is  a  self  evident 
truth. 

Now,  it  happens  that  we  meet  together  once  every 
year  some  time  about  the  Fourth  of  July,  for  some  rea 
son  or  other.  These  Fourth  of  July  gatherings  I  sup 
pose  have  their  uses.  If  you  will  indulge  me,  I  will  state 
what  I  suppose  to  be  some  of  them. 

A   MIGHTY   NATION. 

We  are  now  a  mighty  nation;  we  are  thirty;  or  about 
thirty  millions  of  people,  and  we  own  and  inhabit  about 
one-fifteenth  part  of  the  dry  land  of  the  whole  earth. 


380  LINCOLN'S  STORIES  AND  SPEECHES. 

We  run  our  memory  back  over  the  pages  of  history  for 
about  eighty-two  years,  and  we  discover  that  we  were 
then  a  very  small  people  in  point  of  numbers,  vastly  in 
ferior  to  what  we  are  now,  with  a  vastly  less  extent  of 
country,  with  vastly  less  of  everything  we  deem  desirable 
among  men;  we  look  upon  the  change  as  exceedingly  ad 
vantageous  to  us  and  to  our  prosterity,  and  we  fix  upon 
something  that  happened  away  back,  as  in  some  way  or 
other  being  connected  with  this  rise  of  prosperity. 

We  find  a  race  of  men  living  in  that  day  whom  we 
claim  as  our  fathers  and  grandfathers;  they  were  iron 
men;  they  fought  for  the  principle  that  they  were  con 
tending  for;  and  we  understood  that  by  what  they  then 
did  it  has  followed  that  the  degree  of  prosperity  which  we 
now  enjoy  has  come  to  us. 

We  hold  this  annual  celebration  to  remind  ourselves  of 
all  the  good  done  in  this  process  of  time,  of  how  it  was 
done  and  who  did  it,  and  how  we  are  historically  con 
nected  with  it;  and  we  go  from  these  meetings  in  better 
humor  with  ourselves;  we  feel  more  attached  the  one  to 
the  other,  and  more  firmly  bound  to  the  country  we 
inhabit. 

In  every  way  we  are  better  men  in  the  age,  and  race, 
and  country  in  which  we  live,  for  these  celebrations. 
But  after  we  have  done  all  this,  we  have  not  yet  reached 
the  whole.  There  is  something  else  connected  with  it. 

We  have,  besides  these;  men  descended  by  blood  from 
our  ancestors;  those  among  us,  perhaps  half  our  people, 
who  are  not  descendents  at  all  of  these  men;  they  are  men 
who  have  come  from  Europe;  German,  Irish,  French  and 
Scandinavian;  men  that  have  come  from  Europe  them 
selves,  or  whose  ancestors  who  have  come  hither  and 


DEBATE  WITH  DOUGLAS.  381 

settled  here,  finding  themselves  our  equals  in  all  things. 
If  they  look  back  through  this  history  to  trace  their 
connection  with  those  days  of  blood,  they  find<  they  have 
none,  they  cannot  carry  themselves  back  into  that  glor 
ious  epoch  and  make  themselves  feel  they  are  part  of  us; 
but  when  they  look  through  that  old  Declaration  of  In 
dependence,  they  find  that  those  old  men  say  that  "We 
hold  these  truths  to  be  self  evident,  that  all  men  are 
created  equal, "  and  then  they  feel  that  that  moral  senti 
ment,  taught  on  that  day,  evidences  their  relation  to 
those  men,  that  it  is  the  father  of  all  moral  principle  in 
them,  and  that  they  have  a  right  to  claim  it  as  though 
they  were  the  blood  of  the  blood  and  flesh  of  the  flesh  of 
the  men  who  wrote  that  Declaration  [loud  and  long  con 
tinued  applause],  and  so  they  were. 

That  is  the  electric  cord  in  that  Declaration  that  links 
the  hearts  of  patriotic  and  Kberty-loving  men  together, 
that  will  link  those  patriotic  hearts  as  long  as  the  love  of 
freedom  exists  in  the  minds  of  men  throughout  the  world. 
(Applause.  ) 

RUBBING   OUT   THE   SENTIMENT   OF   LIBERTY. 

Now,  sirs,  for  the  purpose  of  squaring  things  with  this 
idea  of  "don't  care  if  slavery  is  voted  up  or  voted  down," 
for  sustaining  the  Dred  Scott  decision,  for  holding  that 
the  Declaration  of  Independence  did  not  mean  anything 
at  all,  we  have  Judge  Douglas  giving  his  exposition  of 
what  the  Declaration  of  Independence  means  and  we  have 
him  saying  that  the  people  of  America  are  equal  to  the 
people  of  England.  According  to  his  construction,  you 
Germans  are  not  connected  with  it. 

Now  I  ask  you  in  all  soberness,  if  all  these  things,  if 


382  LINCOLN'S  STORIES  AND  SPEECHES. 

indulged  in,  if  ratified,  if  confirmed  and  indorsed,  if  taught 
to  our  children  and  repeated  to  them,  do  not  tend  to  rub 
out  the  sentiment  of  liberty  in  the  country,  and  to  trans 
form  this  Government  into  a  government  of  some  other 
form. 

These  arguments  that  are  made  that  the  inferior  race 
are  to  be  treated  with  as  much  allowance  as  they  are 
capable  of  enjoying;  that  as  much  is  to  be  done  for  them  as 
their  condition  will  allow;  what  are  these  arguments? 
they  are  the  arguments  that  Kings  have  made  for  enslav 
ing  the  people  in  all  ages  of  the  world. 

You  will  find  that  all  arguments  in  favor  of  King-craft 
were  of  this  class;  they  always  bestrode  the  necks  of  the 
people,  not  that  they  wanted  to  do  it.  but  because  the 
people  were  better  off  for  being  ridden. 

That  is  their  argument,  and  this  argument  of  the  Judge 
is  the  same  old  serpent  that  says:  You  work  and  I  eat; 
you  toil  and  I  will  enjoy  the  fruits  of  it. 

Turn  it  whatever  way  you  will:  whether  it  comes  from 
the  mouth  of  a  King,  an  excuse  for  enslaving  the  people 
of  his  country,  or  from  the  mouth  of  men  from  one  race 
as  the  reason  for  enslaving  the  men  of  another  race,  it  is 
all  the  same  old  serpent,  and  I  hold  if  that  course  of 
argumentation  that  is  made  for  the  purpose  of  convincing 
the  public  mind  that  we  should  not  care  about  this,  should 
be  granted,  it  does  not  stop  with  the  negro. 

I  should  like  to  know,  if  taking  this  old  Declaration 
of  Independence,  which  declares  that  all  men  are  equal 
upon  principle,  you  begin  making  exceptions  to  it,  where 
you  will  stop?  If  one  man  says  it  does  not  mean  a  ne 
gro,  why  not  another  man  say  it  does  not  mean  some 
other  man!  If  that  declaration  is  not  the  trnth,  let  us 


DEBATE  WITH  DOUGLAS.  383 

get  the  statute  book,  in  which  we  find  it,  and  tear  it  out? 
If  it  is  not  true,  let  us  tear  it  out!  [cries  of  "no,  no"];  let 
us  stick  to  it  then;  let  us  stand  by  it  then.  (Applause.) 
It  may  be  argued  that  there  are  certain  conditions  that 
make  necessities  and  impose  them  upon  us,  and  to  the 
extent  that  a  necessity  is  imposed  upon  a  man,  he  must 
submit  to  it.  I  think  that  was  the  condition  in  which  we 
found  ourselves  when  we  established  this  Government. 
We  have  slaves  among  us;  we  could  not  get  our  Consti 
tution  unless  we  permitted  them  to  remain  in  slavery;  we 
could  not  secure  the  good  we  did  secure  if  we  grasped  for 
more:  and  having;  by  necessity,  submitted  to  that  much, 
it  does  not  destroy  the  principle  that  is  the  charter  of  our 
liberties.  Let  that  charter  stand  as  our  standard. 

LET    US    STAND    FIRMLY    BY    EACH    OTHER. 

My  friend  has  said  to  me  that  I  am  a  poor  hand  to 
quote  Scripture.  I  will  try  it  again,  however.  It  is  said 
in  one  of  the  admonitions  of  our  Lord:  '  'As  your  Father 
in  Heaven  is  perfect,  be  ye  also  perfect. " 


The  Savior,  I  suppose,  did  not  expect  that  any  human 
creature  could  be  as  perfect  as  the  Father  in  Heaven; but 
He  said:  As  your  Father  in  Heaven  is  perfect,  be  ye 
also  perfect. 

He  set  that  up  as  a  standard,  and  he  who  did  most 
toward  reaching  that  standard,  attained  the  highest  de- 


384  LINCOLN'S  STORIES  AND  SPEECHES, 

gree  of  moral  perfection.  So  I  say  in  relation  to  the 
principle  that  all  men  are  created  equal,  let  it  be  as  near 
ly  reached  as  we  can.  If  we  cannot  give  freedom  to 
every  creature,  let  us  do  nothing  that  will  impose  slavery 
upon  any  other  creature.  (Applause.)  Let  us  then 
turn  this  Government  back  into  the  channel  in  which  the 


OUR    SAVTOR    PERFORMING    THE    MIRACLE    AT     THE       WED 
DING    IN    CANA. 

framers  of  the  Constitution  originally  placed  it .  Let  us 
stand  firmly  t>y  each  other.  If  we  do  not  do  so  we  are 
turning  in  the  contrary  direction,  that  our  friend  Judge 
Douglas  proposes;  not  intentionally;  as  working  in  the 
traces  tends  to  make  this  one  universal  slave  nation. 
He  is  one  that  runs  in  that  direction,  and  as  such  I  resist 
him. 


DEBATE  WITH  DOUGLAS.  385 

My  friends,  I  have  detained  you  about  as  long  as  I  de 
sire  to  do,  and  I  have  only  to  say,  let  us  discard  all  this 
quibbling  about  this  man  and  the  other  man;  this  race 
and  that  race  and  the  other  race  being  inferior,  and 
therefore  they  must  be  placed  in  an  inferior  position — 
discarding  our  standard  that  we  have  left  us .  Let  us 
discard  all  these  things,  and  unite  as  one  people  through 
out  this  land,  until  we  shall  once  more  stand  up  declaring 
that  all  men  are  created  equal . 

My  friends,  I  could  not,  without  launching  off  upon 
some  new  topic,  which  would  detain  you  too  long,  con 
tinue  to-night.  I  thank  you  for  this  most  extensive  au 
dience  that  you  have  furnished  me  to-night.  I  leave  you, 
hoping  that  the  lamp  of  liberty  will  burn  in  your  bosoms 
until  there  shall  no  longer  be  a  donbt  that  all  men  are 
created  free  and  equal. 


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the  sides  and  back  with  attractive  illustrative  designs  and  the 
title  stamped  on  front  and  back. 

1.  Bee  and  the  Butterfly Lucy  Foster  Madison 

2.  Dixie  School  Girl „ Gabrielle  E.  Jackson 

3.  Girls  of  Mount  Morris Amanda  Douglas 

4.  Hope's  Messenger Gabrielle  E.  Jackson 

5.  The  Little  Aunt Marion  Ames  Taggart 

6.  A  Modern  Cinderella Amanda  Douglas 

For  sale  by  all  Booksellers,  or  sent  postpaid  on  receipt  of  75c 

M.   A.    DONOHUE    &    COMPANY 

711  S.  DEARBORN  STREET  a  CHICAGO 


Motor  Boat  Boys  Series 

By  Louis  ARUNDEL 

1.  The  Motor  Club's  Cruise  Down  the  Mississippi;  or 

The  Dash  for  Dixie. 

2.  The  Motor  Club  on  the  St.  Lawrence  River;   or 

Adventures  Among  the  Thousand  Islands. 

3.  The  Motor  Club  on  the  Great  Lakes;  or  Exploring 

the  Mystic  Isle  of  Mackinac. 

4.  Motor  Boat  Boys  Among  the  Florida  Keys;  or  The 

Struggle  for  the  Leadership. 

5.  Motor  Boat  Boys  Down  the  Coast;   or  Through 

Storm  and  Stress. 

6.  Motor  Boat  Boy's  River  Chase;   or  Six  Chums 

Afloat  or  Ashore. 

7.  Motor  Boat  Boys  Down  the  Danube;  or  Four  Chums 

Abroad 


Motor  Maid  Series 

By  KATHERINE  STOKES 

1.  Motor  Maids'  School  Days 

2.  Motor  Maids  by  Palm  and  Pine 

3.  Motor  Maids  Across  the  Continent 

4.  Motor  Maids  by  Rose,  Shamrock  and  Thistle. 

5.  Motor  Maids  in  Fair  Japan 

6.  Motor  Maids  at  Sunrise  Camp 

For  sale  by  all  booksellers  or  sent  postpaid  on  receipt  of  75c. 

M.   A.  DONOHUE  &  COMPANY 

701-733  S.    DEARBORN  STREET  ::  CHICAGO 


Radio  Boys  Series 


1.  Radio  Boys  in  the  Secret  Service;  or,  Cast  Away  on 

an  Iceberg FRANK  HONEYWELL 

2.  Radio  Boys  on  the  Thousand  Islands;  or, The  Yankee 

Canadian  Wireless  Trail-FRANK  HONEYWELL 

3.  Radio  Boys  in  the  Flying  Service;  or,  Held  for  Ran 

som  by  Mexican  Bandits J.  W.  DUFFIELD 

4.  Radio  Boys  Under  the  Sea;  or,  The  Hunt  for  the 

Sunken  Treasure J.  W.  DUFFIELD 

5.  Radio  Boys  Cronies;  or,  Bill  Brown's  Radio 

WAYNE  WHIPPLE 

6.  Radio  Boys  Loyalty;  or,  Bill  Brown  Listens  In 

WAYNE  WHIPPLE 


Peggy  Parson's  Series 

By  ANNABEL  SHARP 

A  popular  and  charming  series  of  Girl's  books  dealing  in  an  interesting 
and  fascinating  manner  with  the  the  life  and  adventures  of  Girlhood  so 
dear  to  all  Girls  from  eight  to  fourteen  years  of  age.  Printed  from  large 
clear  type  on  superior  quality  paper,  multicolor  jacket.  Bound  in  cloth. 

1.  Peggy  Parson  Hampton  Freshman 

2.  Peggy  Parson  at  Prep  School 

For  sale  by  all  booksellers  or  sent  postpaid  on  receipt  of  75c. 

M.  A.  DONOHUE  &  COMPANY 

701-733  S.    DEARBORN  STREET  ,:  CHICAGO 


The  Best  of  the  Famous 

ALGER  STORIES 

for  Boys 

RETAIL     PRICE,     TWENTY-FIVE      CENTS     A     COPY 

A  new  edition,  five  by  seven  and  a  half  inches,  printed  from  new 
plates.  Substantially  bound,  and  stamped  in  colors  on  the 
front  coyer  in  several  designs.    Distinctively  a  good- 
looking  edition  of  the  ALGEB  BOOKS,  and 
better  in  many  ways  than  some  of 
the    higher-priced    editions- 


Adrift  in  New  York;  or,  Tom  and  Florence  Braving  the 

World. 

Andy  Grant's  Pluck  and  How  He  Won  Ont. 
Bob  Burton;  or  the  Young  Ranchman  of  Missouri. 
Charlie  Codman's  Cruise. 
Chester  Rand;  or,  the  New  Path  to  Fortune. 
Driven  From  Home;  or,  Carl  Crawford's  Experience. 
Erie  Train  Boy;  or,  Fred's  .Railroad  Adventures. 
Five  Hundred  Dollars;  or,  Jacob  Marlowe's  Secret. 
Helping  Himself;  or,  Grant  Thornton's  Rapid  Rise  in  New 

York. 

In  a  New  World;  or.  Among  the  Gold  Fields  of  Australia. 
Jack's  Ward;  or  the  Boy  Guardian. 
Jed.  the  Poorhouse  Boy;  or,  From  Poverty  to  Title. 
Luke  Walton;or,  The  Chicago  Newsboy. 
Mark  Mason;  His  Trials  and  Triumps. 
Ralph  Raymond's  Heir,  or,  James  Cromwell's  Triumph. 
Risen  From  the  Ranks;  or,  Harry  Walton's  Success. 
Sam's  Chance  and  How  He  Improved  It. 
Shifting  for  Himself;  or,  Gilbert  Grayon's  Fortune. 
Sink  or  Swim;  or,  Harry  Raymond's  Resolve. 
Store  Boy;  or,  the  Fortunes  of  Ben  Barclay. 
Tony,  the  Tramp;  or.  Right  is  Might. 
Walter  Sherwood's  Probation;  or,  Cool  Head  and  Warm 

Heart. 

Young  Acrobat  of  the  Great  North  American  Circus. 
Young  Explorer;  or,  Among  the  Sierras. 
Young  Musician;  or  Fighting  His  Way. 

Made  in  U.  S.  A. 

For  sale  where  this  book  was  bought  or  •will  be  sent  to  any 
address  postpaid  on  receipt  of  25c  each  in  stamps,  cur 
rency,  express  or  postal  money  order  by  the  publishers 

M.  A.  DONOHUE  &•  COMPANY 

Book  Publishers  and  Manufacturers 
701-733  S.  Dearborn  St.  ::  CHICAGO 


STORIES  OF  THE  AMERICAN  INDIAN; 

MYSTERY,  ROMANCE  AND 

ADVENTURE 


Every  red  blooded  American  Boy  and  Girl  will  be  greatly  pleased 
with  these  books.  They  are  written  by  the  master  writer  of  such 
books,  EDWARD  S.  ELLIS.  There  is  mystery,  charm  and  excit- 
ment  in  each  volume.  All  the  following  titles  can  be  procured  at 
the  same  place  this  book  was  procured,  or  they  will  be  sent  post 
paid  for  25c  per  copy  or  5  for  $1.00. 

Astray  in  the  Forest  Boy  Hunters  in  Kentucky 

River  and  Forest  The  Daughter  of  the  Chieftain 

Lost  in  the  Rockies  Captured  by  the  Indians 

Bear  Cavern  Princess  of  the  Woods 

The  Lost  River  Wolf  Ear:  The  Indian 

Read  every  one  of  the  above  Titles 
You  will  enjoy  them 


M.   A.    DONOHUE  &  COMPANY 

Manufacturers  and  Publishers  Since  1861 

701-733  SOUTH  DEARBORN  STREET  CHICAGO 


The  Aeroplane  Series 

By  JOHN  LUTHER  LANGWORTHY 

1.  The  Aeroplane  Boys;  or,  The  Young  Pilots  First  Air 

Voyage 

2.  The  Aeroplane  Boys  on  the  Wing;  or,  Aeroplane 

Chums  in  the  Tropics 

3.  The  Aeroplane  Boys  Among  the  Clouds;  or,  Young 

Aviators  in  a  Wreck 

4.  The  Aeroplane  Boys'  Flights;  or.   A  Hydroplane 

Round-up 

5.  The  Aeroplane  Boys  on  a  Cattle  Ranch 


The  Girl  Aviator  Series 

By  MARGARET  BURNHAM 

Just  the  type  of  books  that  delight  and  fascinate  the  wide  awake  Girls 
of  the  present  day  who  are  between  the  ages  of  eight  and  fourteen  years. 
The  great  author  of  these  books  regards  them  as  the  best  products  of 
her  pen.  Printed  from  large  clear  type  on  a  superior  quality  of  paper; 
attractive  multi-color  jacket  wrapper  around  each  book.  Bound  in  cloth. 

1.  The  Girl  Aviators  and  the  Phantom  Airship 

2.  The  Girl  Aviators  on  Golden  Wings 

3.  The  Girl  Aviators'  Sky  Cruise 

4.  The  Girl  Aviators'  Motor  Butterfly. 

For  sale  by  all  booksellers  or  sent  postpaid  on  receipt  of  75c. 

M.  A.  DONOHUE  &  COMPANY 

701-733  S.    DEARBORN  STREET  ;;  CHICAGO 


The  American  Boy's 
Sports  Series 

BY   MARK    OVERTON 

12  Mo  Cloth.  Illustrated.  Price  60c  Each. 


D 


HESE  stories  touch  upon  nearly  every 
sport  in  which  the  active  boy  is  interested. 
Baseball,  rowing,  football,  hockey,  skat 
ing,  ice-boating,  sailing,  camping  and  fishing  all 
serve  to  lend  interest  to  an  unusual  series  of 
books.  There  are  the  following  four  titles: 

1.  Jack  Winters'  Baseball  Team;  or,  The 

Mystery  of  the  Diamond. 

2.  Jack  Winters'  Campmates;  or,  Vacation 

Days  in  the  Woods. 

2 ,    Jack  Winters'  Gridiron  Chums;  or,  When 
the  Half-back  Saved  the  Day. 

4.    Jack  Winters'  Iceboat  Wonder;  or,  Lead 
ing  the  Hockey  Team  to  Victory. 


M.  A.  DONOHUE  &  COMPANY 

CHICAGO 


1  7  1981 


DATE  DUE 


PRINTED  IN  U    S   A 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


A  A      000200289 


